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My name is Ivana Vinkler Komarić. I live in Croatia, in the fourth biggest Croatian city called Osijek.
I love reading, traveling (especially visiting libraries, castles and museums) and cooking. I enjoy outdoor activities and I'm a cat person.

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I work as a school counselor in Primary school Tordinci, a small school in a village called Tordinci. We also have a subordinate school in another village called Antin.
In my work I mostly communicate with children and their parents, but I also work with my colleague teachers and on improving the learning process. I like to participate in different activities, projects and workshops. I'm an Eco-school coordinator for our school.
I speak English and German and I'm skilled in many ICT applications, programs and tools.

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Course timeline

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“Teaching is learning as well.”
- Bart Verswijvel

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Ignite Webinar – 25. 2. 2019.

- Through the webinar, we were given general information about the course

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- Reflections on the job of a teacher – video where different teachers talk about the most rewarding and challenging aspects of their jobs and also about their expectations

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0:00 / 6:47•Watch full video

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U1-A1: Reflection on the teaching profession

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U1-A1: Reflection on the teaching profession

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Write down your thoughts on being a teacher, using at least two of the following questions as prompts:

What will be most rewarding for you in your job as a teacher?

The most rewarding for me is when I see my students enjoy being in my class and apply what they have learned in their life or schoolwork.

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What will the biggest challenges for you in your job as a teacher?

The biggest challenge is that I am too emphatic and I would like to help all my students with their problems, which I sometimes can’t and that makes me sad. Also sometimes, I find class discipline a challenge.

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How will you organize your professional development?

I try to develop professionally as much as I can through different seminars, webinars, reading stuff related to my work, I try to implement new things in my work and I evaluate my work as much as I can and change what I think I could do better.

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Teaching in the 21st century requires a set of skills you will build over the years. What are, according to you, the main characteristics for a teacher of our times?
Teachers of the 21st century have to be:
- innovative
- prone to change
- creative
- understanding of ICT and digital tools and apps
- collaborative
- team players

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Think about the teachers you had in your secondary and higher education years. How would you identify them in terms of their attitude to technology?
When I went to school, there were mostly “Traditional Tania - Traditional Tim” (teach in traditional way, don’t even want to try anything new) and “Worried Wanda - Worried Willy” (they want the change but are scared to implement it themselves) teachers. Now the situation has changed and there are a lot more innovative and digital teachers, which is good.

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U1-A4: Fun activity: Teacher Merchandise

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U1-A4: Fun activity: Teacher Merchandise

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Promote the teaching profession to attract new recruits – from all social groups and backgrounds. What would appeal to them? What could you say to overcome prejudices about the job?

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To grow as a teacher and to adapt to continuous changes in society in general and in education in particular, we all have to be lifelong learners, learning formally, non-formally or informally.
- formal education - any school where you get an official diploma or a degree
- non-formal learning -  in-service courses as part of continuous professional development , for it you get a certificate
- informal learning - you learn from others in a very flexible way, by interacting with them and developing your knowledge and skills

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U1-A6: Further reading - reflection on ways of learning

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U1-A6: Further reading - reflection on ways of learning

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My thoughts:
- I think that both non-formal and informal learning are significant for adults who finished their formal education
- our learning doesn't stop with the end of formal education, but continues throughout our life
- since I already finished all stages of my formal education, I enjoy learning through different seminars, webinars, MOOCs, etc. but I also learn from my colleagues at school and from my students all the time
- since the world changes very fast, we need to learn all the time and change with it

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PLN - Personal/Professional Learning Network - connects teachers who learn together, share what they have learned and create new content
"Second staff room" - interesting idea, teachers and colleagues from other schools or organizations, friends you surround yourself with, communicate about work and discuss different ideas

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U1-A7: Present yourself in a short video clip

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U1-A7: Present yourself in a short video clip

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Introduction on Flipgrid...

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1.4 Twitter as a tool for lifelong learning
U1-A8: Further reading - PLN

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1.4 Twitter as a tool for lifelong learning
U1-A8: Further reading - PLN

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Now that I got acquainted with the term PLN, I realized I already have not one but two personal learning networks.
One of them is an online PLN, I connect with my fellow school counselors from other schools via Messenger. We are friends and colleagues from university, we each work in different primary school and we collaborate and share ideas, talk about our work and work-related problems in our private Messenger group.
The second PLN is in my school but it consists of the colleagues I work with frequently and those I enjoy working with (those are not all of my school colleagues).
I'm also member of different educational groups on Facebook.
I think it's very important to have a PLN, people help each other, exchange ideas and when you have a problem, you always have someone to lean on, someone who can help you solve it and be your support.

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U1-A12: Further reading - Twitter and social media

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U1-A12: Further reading - Twitter and social media

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I don't use Twitter for my work, but I was happy to see that there are other resources on Instagram too. So I already started following some of the resources I found in the text.

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Think about the qualities of an effective 21st century educator. You are probably picturing someone who is highly adaptable, constantly inspired, and strongly connected with both students and fellow educators. You can find many teachers with these qualities on social media platforms like Twitter and Pinterest, which are popular online communities that innovative educators use to build a personal learning network, share ideas, discover new technologies, and find inspiration.

Hashtag-happy teachers who prefer verbal communication and seek social networking opportunities often turn to Twitter, where 4.2 million education-related tweets are shared every day, according to EdSurge. More visual-minded and crafty educators, seeking ideas and inspiration, use Pinterest to communicate through photographs and graphic designs. If you consider yourself to be an effective and innovative 21st century teacher, then you are likely a frequent user of one of these platforms and have benefited immensely from using them. Unfortunately, the pros of Twitter and Pinterest have a limited amount of overlap, which leads one to wonder where an educator can go to experience a combination of both.
How can innovative teachers use Instagram?
Enter Instagram (or IG for short), which has over 300 million active users every month. You have probably heard your students talking about tagging, liking, and "Throwback Thursdays," but you, like many teachers, may be unfamiliar with how powerful of a tool IG can actually be. You can think of the Facebook-owned platform like a constantly updating scrapbook of images portraying the experiences and interests of the people and groups that matter the most to you. IG combines the categorize-by-hashtag system used by Twitter with the image-driven nature of Pinterest to create a place where educators can come to network, share and discover new ideas, and interact with each other on a more personal level.

Instagram's popularity is rapidly growing as the network continues to posture itself amongst the more established social media platforms. When Twitter first showed up, many educators were hesitant to use it for professional reasons. After all, Twitter was a place where people would go to get the latest juicy gossip on Justin Bieber and Kanye West or to follow their favorite professional athletes. But it was not long before educators realized that they could choose which accounts they followed and had control over the people or groups that they were networking with. The same realization is happening right now with Instagram. Yes, Justin Bieber is on there, but you don't have to follow him or any other person or group that does not interest you.

At this point, you may find yourself entertaining the tired thought that you simply do not have the time to learn how to use another social media platform. That reluctance is understandable, but it is important for effective 21st century teachers to be adaptable, especially in our ever-evolving educational landscape. The good news is that IG is one of the easiest social media platforms to learn-in fact, you will be able to use Instagram within moments of your first login, which is one of the reasons why it has become so popular. If you are looking for an explicit guide to getting started, this Instagram Cheat Sheet by Gear & Style will get you up and running in no time.

Teachers utilize the power of social media in many different ways, but we are all driven by the goal of growing as educators. Here are 7 specific ways that you can use Instagram to make yourself a more effective teacher:
1.) Networking With Other Educators
Innovative teachers want to build large and diverse personal learning networks and Instagram is a great place for you to find like-minded educators and groups to connect with. There are thousands of inspiring and insightful teachers on IG and using hashtags like #TeachersFollowTeachers or #TeachersOfInstagram will help you to find them.

Check Out: @TeachingSpecialThinkers focuses exclusively on Special Education.

2.) Follow Education Groups
Teachers can learn about new technologies, lesson ideas, and recent studies by following popular education groups on IG. Similar to Twitter, following the right accounts can expose you to all of the things going on in education. You can use #education for a general search, but you can also use something specific like #STEM or #edtech as well.

Check Out: @Edutopia focuses on general education tips and inspiration.

3.) Learn More About Your Content Area

Instagram is a great place to interact with content-area-specific pages. These pages share posts that follow a theme like @NatGeo for geography and world events, @ASAPscience for science, and @MashUpMath for mathematics education.

Check Out: @MashUpMath focuses on math tips, challenges, and insights.

4.) Showcase Student Work

Lets face it: you are an amazing and creative teacher. You put tons of effort into planning engaging activities for your students. Shouldn't you be sharing your awesomeness with the world? Well, on Instagram you can-and this kind of sharing between teachers is nothing short of inspiring.

Check Out: @WhatTheTeacherWants focuses on showcasing student work.

5.) Express Yourself

You are more than just a teacher. Instagram is fun because you can gain a closer and more personal look into the lives of the people that you care about. Go ahead and share some posts about you. What book are you currently reading? What restaurants do you love? What park did you jog through this morning?

Check Out: @CC2theJ is run by Chris Johnson: a middle school math teacher by day and Spartan Ninja Warrior by night!

6.) Access Teacher Resources

Many users with Teachers-Pay-Teachers (TPT) accounts utilize Instagram to share their lessons and activities. This is a great way to stay up to date with your favorite accounts and you can often access exclusive discount codes.

Check Out: @TeachersPayTeachers currently has over one hundred thousand followers!

7.) Promote Your Club/Organization/School

Innovative school's use Instagram to celebrate all of the wonderful things that their students are doing both in school and in the community. Instagram is a great way to promote fundraisers, field trips, and sporting events.

Check Out: Xavier High School in New York (@XavierHS) uses IG promote their students and their school.

by Anthony Persico

Anthony is the content crafter and head educator for MashUp Math. You can often find me happily developing animated math lessons to share on my YouTube channel ( www.youtube.com/mashupmath). Or spending way too much time at the gym or playing on my phone.

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Why Innovative Teachers Use Instagram: 7 Ways to Become a Socially Connected Educator

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Why do innovative teachers embrace social media? Think about the qualities of an effective 21st century educator. You are probably picturing someone who is highly adaptable, constantly inspired, and strongly connected with both students and fellow educators.

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Unit 2: Unlock the Classroom – Active Technology 

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Unit 2: Unlock the Classroom – Active Technology 

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2.1 Active learning
Active learning is a perfect blend between new ways of teaching and learning (active, independent, collaborative students with 21st century skills), new designs of the learning space and involving technology in every day learning.
Future classroom (for example: Future Classroom Lab of European Schoolnet in Brussel) - has different learning zones: traditional classroom, private space for research, space for creating products to present to other students, etc.

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U2-A1: Technology in the classroom – is it all a positive story?

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U2-A1: Technology in the classroom – is it all a positive story?

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Technology is great. It makes tasks more fun, especially now that there are so many digital apps and tools we can use. Plus, our students are more familiar with technology and use it on a daily basis. Using ICT really is a 21st century skill.
However, there are also many disadvantages in using (too much) technology in learning process: technology can disconnect students from social interactions, some students who use too much technology don't learn to write well or to express themselves, technology can also create division because not all students have equal access to technological resources...

So we have to find balance to be able to use the good aspects of technology, and not those that are not good for students.

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6 Pros & Cons of Technology in the Classroom in 2018

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6 Pros & Cons of Technology in the Classroom in 2018

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Technology in education is the biggest change in teaching we will ever see. For years, policy makers, teachers, parents and students alike have been weighing the potential benefits of technology in education against its risks and consequences.

Prior to March 2020, some would say that technology allowed you to experiment in pedagogy, democratize the classroom and reach Generation Z students. Others may have argued that technology in the classroom could promote cheating. But after 2020, technology in education has become essential-especially as the COVID-19 pandemic forced higher ed and public schools to swap face-to-face instruction for distance learning.

Below, we share 20 best practices for using technology in the classroom-and offer workable solutions that will help you meet the needs of your students. You can also download our free guide, which highlights how five acclaimed educators use technology to help their students excel in any course.

How technology can support learning outcomes for today's students

Students are digital natives. They've grown up with technology; it's woven into their lives. In fact, it's one of the basic 21st-century skills that they'll need in school and the workplace.

Technology integration in the classroom now begins during elementary school and carries through to high school and higher education. But using computer technology in the classroom isn't just about digital devices in class-it relates to anything that facilitates an interaction between teacher and student. Technology in education programs could be seen as a culprit, or it could be harnessed to improve student engagement and effectiveness-and that's what we'll discuss below.

"Digital education is generating new learning opportunities as students engage in online, digital environments and as faculty change educational practices through the use of hybrid courses, personalized instruction, new collaboration models and a wide array of innovative, engaging learning strategies," says David Goodrum, Director of Academic Technology and Information Services at Oregon State University.

"Furthermore, a 21st century view of learner success requires students to not only be thoughtful consumers of digital content, but effective and collaborative creators of digital media, demonstrating competencies and communicating ideas through dynamic storytelling, data visualization and content curation," Goodrum says.

Types of classroom technology

Education technology allows you to engage, interact with, and inspire students in and out of your class. Plus, certain types of technology tools like podcasts or video streaming platforms can help meet the unique learning styles of your cohort. Many of the technologies below are used to operate online education programs-including lectures, labs, group meetings or class tutorials. Plenty of higher education institutions have already integrated some of the following technology tools into their degree programs today.

Learning management systems (LMS) such as Canvas, Moodle and Blackboard allow you to manage courses, assign homework and tests, and track student grades.

Digital courseware such as ebook products by Pearson, McGraw-Hill and Macmillan can be used to create and distribute teaching resources (such as textbooks or question packs) to students as a way to create engaging homework experiences.

Classroom response systems including iClicker and Poll Everywhere help students reflect on their learning via polls or discussions in class.

Virtual classroom tools like Microsoft Teams and Zoom are used to host synchronous online lectures and let participants engage in breakout rooms or 'share their screen' with one another.

Remote proctoring software like Proctorio and Honorlock help maintain academic integrity by monitoring student behavior during tests and flag behavior indicative of cheating.

This article looks at the pros and cons of using technology in the classroom. We'll also share the advantages and disadvantages of technology in the classroom when incorporating new digital teaching and assessment techniques into your lesson plans.

8 pros and cons of using technology for student engagement

The pros:

1. Technology in the classroom helps ensure full participation

Online polling and other digital tools help to engage all students, including shy students who wouldn't normally raise their hands in class. Online engagement systems allow you to regularly check in with students for feedback on course materials and assignments. Student insights can also be used to help spot areas where learners might be struggling.

Student response systems help learners measure their understanding of a topic while professors can see what areas they need to review. For instance, iClicker offers questions that may be multiple choice or true or false. Students are then asked to identify a correct answer to a question in exchange for participation points from a professor. Clickers, virtual classroom software and assessment platforms like Socrative or Kahoot! can make for great engagement tools for educators looking to enhance their lectures. Student response systems help foster digital citizenship in the classroom and give students an opportunity to engage in class and get rewarded for it at the same time.

Another active learning technique that education technology can facilitate is offering students quizzes (not for credit). At the beginning of the class, students can gauge familiarity with a subject by taking a quick, anonymous quiz on the topic you're teaching-and this can also inform and direct what you need to focus on. At the end of the class, facilitating the same quiz again allows all students to gauge what they do and don't understand.

2. Using technology in the classroom allows you to experiment more in pedagogy and get instant feedback

Technology allows for more active learning. You can increase engagement through online polling or asking quiz questions during online lectures, with instantaneous results. If you're using a digital textbook, subject matter is dynamic and timely with embedded links to relevant materials or immersive multimedia.

Whether adding a single tool for a specific project or term, or making a more dramatic change such as a flipped classroom, being well-versed in technology can help build credibility with students and even fellow colleagues. Video conferencing software, live polls and discussion boards are all ways to form feedback loops with your students. An LMS such as Moodle and polling software like Poll Everywhere can also help educators get an instant understanding of student comprehension.

3. There are countless resources for enhancing education and making learning more fun and effective

From apps and e-textbooks to organizational platforms, there's no shortage of tools that can transform the classroom. Some instructors are turning toward classroom 'gamification,' the use of competitive scenarios, and the distribution of points and rewards to make the online classroom more fun and engaging. The key to ensuring these methods are also effective is designing them to support your course learning objectives. Digital storytelling, where students use simulations to immerse themselves in a fictional environment, can make learning more exciting and relatable for students. Gamification also allows for interactive lessons and can reduce passivity in the classroom.

Some gamification activities introduce healthy competition to your class. In role play, for example, students are asked to pose arguments on behalf of historical figures. Technology can greatly aid the implementation of classroom games, while students may be incentivized to complete their assessments. Blended learning can also play an effective role here, whereby student curriculum is partially delivered in person and partially via digital means.

4. Technology makes it simple for students to collaborate and engage in group work outside of class

Gone are the days when one student was tasked with creating a PowerPoint presentation for a group. Through technology, students can start working on a project together in class and seamlessly collaborate, communicate and bounce ideas off one another using social media, interactive whiteboards and more. Physical and social barriers no longer exist, letting students work together from anywhere and at any time. Technology has also enabled students to engage in spontaneous discussions and find instant answers to problems or questions they may have about a topic.

The cons:

5. Technology in the classroom can be a distraction

Tech savvy students may find it hard to concentrate in class when a wide range of digital devices are around them. It can be hard to keep students' attention while lecturing behind a screen, but James Lang, Professor of English and the Director of the D'Amour Center for Teaching Excellence at Assumption College, has a solution. Lang argues that change renews attention-meaning that if students are starting to tune out, it's time to incorporate opportunities for class discussions. Lang calls these moments 'signature attention activities' as they are designed to spark engagement in the midst of a slump.

Matthew Numer, an assistant professor in the School of Health and Human Performance at Dalhousie University, says in an article for The Chronicle of Higher Education that banning laptops is an "insult" to students. "Our students are capable of making their own choices, and if they choose to check Snapchat instead of listening to your lecture, then that's their loss. Besides, it's my responsibility as an educator to ensure that my lecture is compelling. If my students aren't paying attention, if they're distracted, that's on me." To Numer, students glancing at their mobile devices may indicate that a course's curriculum and instruction needs to be revamped.

This makes the notion of creating a structure and culture of respect all the more important from day one. Identify specific projects, opportunities for breaks and your intentions for participation and engagement using technology in the classroom. Creating expectations and guidelines for students-and sticking to them-will be important for them in respecting your boundaries.

6. Technology can disconnect students from social interactions

Many people are skeptical of technology and what it does to students', and everyone else's, ability to verbally communicate.

By creating assignments in class that use both technological tools as well as oral presentations and group collaboration, student learning has the potential to become more dynamic and interactive. Participation can also go beyond verbal communication. Consider how your LMS, discussion board or live chat can be leveraged to increase student engagement.

7. Technology can foster cheating in class and on assignments

Students have always found ways to cheat, but the digital age makes it even easier-from copying-and-pasting someone else's work to hiring an essay-writer from an online essay mill. Here, digital technology could end up hindering students' professional development.

While technology could be seen as yet another avenue for cheating, it's possible to structure assignments and exams in a way that makes cheating difficult. Alternatively, you can make exams open-book and focus on problem-solving and mastery rather than retention. Some classroom software allows you to set questions that are subtly different for every student, making them focus on the technique rather than the answer. Ed tech software such as Turnitin is already well-established in most higher education settings. With COVID-19, some institutions have relied on proctoring software to maintain academic integrity from a distance. These assistive tools can help professors maintain academic integrity.

8. Classroom technology doesn't necessarily make students more accountable

While it can certainly help, technology use in the classroom doesn't always mean students are more likely to stay on top of their deliverables. For example, it can be tricky to know if your students are viewing the full lecture recordings or coming to class having completed their assigned readings. Social media and other ed tech platforms don't necessarily indicate completion. Some LMS providers may show if a student has opened a file, but that only says so much. Whether students have reviewed, absorbed and are able to retain that information is a question that-like traditional learning materials-not all classroom tech can solve.

7 pros and cons of using classroom technology to increase flexibility

The pros:

9. Technology can automate a lot of your tedious tasks

Automation can speed up tedious, time-consuming tasks, such as keeping track of student attendance and performance. Engagement tools can help streamline grading for writing assignments, discussions and participation, as well as answer common student questions, which otherwise could seem daunting due to their objective nature.

The canonical example of this? One professor at Georgia Tech coded an artificially intelligent teaching assistant. ' Jill Watson' was able to answer a selection of student questions and pass any that she couldn't handle to a real person. Integrating technology in the classroom has the potential to reduce the amount of time spent on minor tasks.

10. Technology in college classrooms gives students instant access to fresh information that can supplement their learning experience

There is value in having textbooks and course materials that are always up to date, which can even include additions suggested by students. This also fosters a more collaborative learning environment-students can share information, work together on group projects and interact with their instructor online. Collaboration between professors and their students is put into practice through a learning management system (LMS) such as Moodle or Blackboard, where professors upload new content for students to review online.

Educational technology enables students to engage in an ongoing cycle of learning: before, during and after class. Student response systems such as clickers can also help learners apply their understanding of concepts covered in class and can indicate areas that need to be reviewed. For Generation Z, technology is arguably the best way to meet student needs. Demian Hommel, Senior Instructor of Geography and Environmental Sciences and Marine Resource Management at Oregon State University, uses a classroom response system to poll students every few minutes during lectures. "Using technology to help students understand the trends and patterns that are going to affect them is transformative," he says.

"Using technology to help students understand the trends and patterns that are going to affect them is transformative." -Professor Demian Hommel

11. Students have the choice to learn in real time or at their own pace

Using technology in the classroom has given students more choice in, and control over, their learning experiences. Learning tools have also given professors the flexibility in how to deliver their lectures or labs. For instance, students can tune into live-streamed lectures hosted at a specific time, while others can view lecture recordings on their own if they're unable to attend a live session. Plus, real-time lessons in online learning can help students feel a great sense of belonging and camaraderie that would otherwise be lost.

Asynchronous learning provides a new level of flexibility for both students and educators. For example, instead of waiting for students to show up at your office, host your office hours via Zoom and let your students know that they're free to drop by during a given time frame. Additionally, technology can be used to help students take asynchronous tests. Just make a test available on your LMS for a 48-hour period so that students can take their assessment at a time and place that works for them.

12. Address the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines with thoughtful technology use

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for ensuring your course delivery meets the needs of all students. It's the ultimate way to provide flexibility in how, when and where learning takes place. The three tenets of this framework are providing multiple means of engagement, representation and expression.

In order to represent content in a variety of ways, you might consider complementing a textbook reading with a podcast. Alternatively, multiple ways of expressing students' understanding could mean offering students learning opportunities through journal articles or video reflections. Finally, multiple forms of engagement might mean gauging students' interests at the start of the term through icebreakers or a student interest inventory-and then use these insights to tailor your units of study accordingly.

The cons:

13. Lesson planning might become more labor-intensive with technology

The task of adapting technology into your classroom can seem daunting or overwhelming. In many ways though, using technology can become as natural to you as any daily activity.

When you're choosing classroom technology, it's important to engage with the software vendor and make sure you have the appropriate level of support in place. Some questions you should ask include whether they supply training or onboarding, and what their reliability statistics and support functions are. After all, you don't need to be the person all the students come to if the technology goes offline.

The most important factor is to allow yourself time to learn how to use a new ed tech tool and make sure you ask for, and receive, the support that you need.

14. Students don't have equal access to technological resources

An online education should be accessible to students. But some students can't afford iPads or even the textbooks required for class. Others simply do not have reliable Internet access. Point these students in the direction of your institution's library or community resources, or create assignments that allow them to work in groups and share resources. You might also consider using open educational resources (OER), which provide a cost-effective alternative to the traditional college textbook. Don't make technology the focus of your class, and don't make it a barrier. Incorporate it in a holistic and inclusive manner-and ensure you do your part to find equitable learning solutions.

15. Technology in education can create privacy concerns

Video conferencing or web-hosting solutions have brought with them some concerns around data protection. For example, do platforms offer end-to-end encryption in basic plans provided to students? Social media handles set up as part of a tutorial or learning activity can also lead to student information being accessed by a wider audience than intended. What's more, Zoombombing-disruptive intrusions into a video conference call-became a common occurrence during the COVID-19 pandemic.

And though they maintain academic integrity, remote proctoring solutions can make test-takers feel uncomfortable. Students may not want to have their homes shown in front of a proctor and being monitored can increase stress and anxiety.

5 pros and cons of using technology to aid instructional design

The pros:

16. We live in a digital world, and technology is an essential life skill

Being digitally literate is more than obtaining "isolated technological skills," according to the NMC Horizon Report: 2017 Higher Education Edition. Rather, it's about "generating a deeper understanding of the digital environment, enabling intuitive adaptation to new contexts and [the] co-creation of content with others." Here, the traditional whiteboard is almost extinct, while technology has never been more essential in the virtual classroom. Creating presentations, learning to differentiate reliable from unreliable sources on the Internet and maintaining proper online netiquette are all vital skills that students will learn to develop in the classroom.

Technology use can also help universities deliver a better return on the investment students pay for their education-as well as make learning relevant to a primarily Generation Z audience. Mobile technology in classrooms is a must-have if students want to be prepared for almost any career today. Student achievement may be boosted if they have the means to continue working on projects outside of the classroom.

17. Classroom technology is a cost-effective alternative to traditional course materials

Technology can help save students hundreds during a semester. Rather than asking students to buy a copy of five different textbooks, some professors might want to direct students to their institution's library or adopt open source textbooks.

Using technology in the classroom has its benefits for the environment as well. Institutions can reduce the amount they spend on ink and paper by distributing important documents in a centralized digital location. As opposed to asking students to buy a print book from your campus bookstore, authoring your own digital, interactive book can help students save big. Katie Thompson-Laswell, Senior Instructor of Human Development and Family Science at Kansas State University, was able to save her students $70 on course materials in the spring 2019 semester. Two years later, new cohorts of students continue to enjoy a low-cost, interactive homework experience from anywhere.

The cons:

18. The quality of research and sources students find may not be credible

The Internet is a blessing and a curse. Your students may need guidance on identifying legitimate and unreliable sources. Many colleges have writing centers that can help with this. You can also use OER-ranging from lecture notes, examinations, assignments and textbooks-and adapt them to fit the needs of your course and students. How can you tell if content is written by a competent authority? Use these tips to find effective OERs. Top Hat's Catalog-filled with hundreds of low-cost, interactive textbooks-is also a reliable source of OER you can use, regardless of your discipline or teaching modality.

19. Some classroom technologies could eventually replace professors

Classroom technology has helped position educators as a 'guide on the side' versus a 'sage on the stage.' But that shift in the role that professors play has the potential to put them on the sidelines-especially with online learning. Technology has automated many learning processes such as grading. With asynchronous online learning especially, it's possible that students could now have little-to-no interactions with their educators compared to their experiences in the traditional classroom.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), which prioritize unlimited participation and open access, let students gain an unrestricted learning experience without a professor present. Platforms like Coursera let students watch on-demand video lectures from leading universities and companies for a fraction of the cost of a university degree. These platforms even offer selective degree and certificate programs. Other platforms like LinkedIn Learning prioritize skill-based learning, which allows students to complete courses or learning modules at their own pace-without the guidance of an instructor.

20. Institutions' lack of IT support can make it challenging to evaluate and implement new classroom technologies

Where do you begin if you're new to teaching? Educators may understandably feel overwhelmed when adopting new tools and platforms to meet the needs of their Generation Z students. While colleges may have a site-wide license for a particular LMS, educators are often left to their own resources to decide how to bring their material to life. Depending on the scale and quality of instructional design services offered at their institution, this can be a lengthy and uneasy process.

How classroom technology can help you meet your teaching goals next semester

This past academic year has highlighted the essential role that technology plays in student learning. No matter where you're teaching next semester, the best practices for using classroom technology below can help make your course more engaging, interactive and active. For additional advice, download our free guide on how to effectively use technology in your next face-to-face, hybrid or online classroom.

Eliminate distractions in class

1. Use frequent polls to make sure students pay attention-and to hold them accountable
2. Begin lessons with a game or icebreaker to encourage focus and collaboration from the start of class

Allow students to learn at their own pace

1. Adopt a flipped classroom model where students can view lecture modules and complete quizzes in advance of live lectures
2. Complement live activities with self-paced exercises such as blog posts or video journal responses, which students can share in your LMS

Create a classroom environment where students feel comfortable speaking out

1. Incorporate an anonymous discussion board during in-class polls
2. Ask your teaching assistants to respond to, and acknowledge, students' contributions in and out of class

Help students stay accountable for their learning outside of your classroom

1. Adopt or author your own digital interactive textbook that includes comprehension questions throughout
2. Keep a digital repository of discussion board prompts or quiz questions and re-quiz students on these concepts in future homework assignments to check for subject mastery

Provide instant feedback on student performance

1. Consider employing low-stakes, multiple choice quizzes that can be auto-graded
2. Grade assignments using a built-in rubric in your LMS and provide personalized feedback upon student request

Technology in the classroom: The final verdict

It's clear that the benefits of technology in the classroom outweigh the cons. But the key to technology in the classroom is always going to be the teacher-student relationship, because that's where the education happens. Technology can be a highly effective tool, but that's all it is-a tool. In today's hyper-connected world, sensible use of technology can enhance education. By using technology as an aid in the classroom, educators can create memorable and impactful learning outcomes for their diverse group of college students. For best practices on how to integrate technology in your classroom next semester, download our free guide packed with tips and tools five professors have used to give their course delivery a boost.

References

1. Kelly, R. (2018, January 11). 7 Ed Tech Trends to Watch in 2018. https://campustechnology.com/Articles/2018/01/11/7-Ed-Tech-Trends-to-Watch-in-2018.aspx?Page=1

2. Dhami, H. (2020, August 13). James Lang's Distracted: Why Students Can't Focus and What You Can Do About It. [Blog post]. https://tophat.com/blog/james-lang-distracted/

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How to Take Advantage of Ed Tech In The Classroom | Top Hat

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Get best practices for enhancing technology in your classroom. Plus, download Top Hat's free guide to make ed tech tools work for your course.

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U2-A2: Spend money on technology for the classroom and school

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U2-A2: Spend money on technology for the classroom and school

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If you had a budget of 25 000 € to spend on technology for the classroom or school, what would you use it for? Explain WHY the investment is a priority for you.
- I would use it to equip all classrooms with laptops, smart boards and tablets for every student
- the second part of investment would be buying (or acquiring) digital apps and tools teachers and students will use in class
- educating teachers how to use this technology is very important because there is no use in the new technology which no one can (or know how to) use it
- digital safety is also very important - so I would buy programs which can protect our digital infrastructure from digital threats
We live in a world where everything is digital. Technology changes rapidly and our children are adapting to it very quickly. They don't learn in traditional ways any more. We also need to adapt to these changes to be able to give them the best education.

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U2-A3: Reflect on the key points of a future classroom and the role of technology

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U2-A3: Reflect on the key points of a future classroom and the role of technology

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1. The traditional way of learning (where teacher teaches and students passively listen) is obsolete, students learn in a different way, they learn actively, they research, they use many different resources, they create their own projects. That's why we need to change the education to be up-to-date with this new way of learning.
2. I agree. ICT provides us with so many different and engaging ways of learning both for students and for teachers, not just for schools but for all aspects of our lives.
3. This aspect is important because students have to learn how to present themselves later in professional life and work.
4. I don't fully agree with this statement. I work in a primary school. Our students are 7-14 years old and they still need guidance. Perhaps only those who are oldest could be given independence in learning, but I still think that for such a way of learning you need to understand why you learn and such young students mostly still don't fully  understand that.

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The Real World Guide to implementing classroom technology

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The Real World Guide to implementing classroom technology

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As people own more and more powerful personal technologies, a debate has been going on for several years as to whether schools should allow pupils to bring their own devices (laptops, smartphones, tablets) and use them for learning. What’s your view on this?
- If there is no adequate digital infrastructure in school, then yes, why not? However, I don't think that children should use digital devices all the time. There are certain skills they still need to learn without the digital devices (writing, expressing themselves properly...), and also I think that during the recess they need to occupy themselves with socializing with other children and playing real games (instead those on their mobile phones).

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2.2 Technology to support active learning

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2.2 Technology to support active learning

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Learning anywhere, any time
- learning is not limited to the classroom
- we can learn any time, anywhere
- learning online creates a new context for learning, offers opportunities to engage students as independent learners in the space of unlimited resources
- they have the opportunity to collaborate and interact with peers and others
- we must prepare our students to operate safely and effectively in digital communities and networks

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Learning anywhere, any time

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Feedback to support the learning journey

- the assessment and feedback of an assignment should not only come at the end but also during the learning process
- in digital environment we can give different types of feedback: grading of knowledge quizzes and informative and specific feedback
- in digital environment technology can record the different steps in learning helping learners visualize where they are in the learning process and what they need to improve
- we can get feedback from the teacher, our peers and from ourselves (through self-assessment and reflection)
- failure should be allowed, provided there is reflection, guidance and support

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Feedback to support the learning journey

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U2-A5: How to involve your students at home?

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U2-A5: How to involve your students at home?

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First, I'll create a Facebook group for their task. There they can communicate, post everything they make and comment on each other's work.
Their task is going to be research about Pink Shirt Day and bullying.
Their first assignment is going to be making a brainstorm in a joint Coggle map, where they can put everything about Pink Shirt Day and bullying they know or find online.
The second task is going to be making digital books in Book Creator, where they can also see each other's digital books.
The third task will be a short video in Adobe Spark with messages about stopping bullying.
In the last task they'll have to create a Kahoot quiz with all what they've learned while researching.
In the end, they'll present their work to other students during Pink Shirt Day and test them with the Kahoot quiz they made to see how much their colleagues have learned from their presentation.

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Create your own example of a rubric for an activity or topic and share it. Create a rubric with at least 3 grading categories (first column in the table above) and describe high and low levels of achievement.
Pink Shirt Day rubric (connected to U2-A5 task)

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-  the criteria for grading work, describe standards and norms to be achieved
-  encourage students to reflect on their learning, their strengths and weaknesses and to understand what they need to do to improve their performance
-  they make assessing student work quick and efficient
- help teachers justify to parents and others the grades that they give to students
-  teaching tools that support student learning and the development of thinking skills
- important in active learning, when students may be working independently of the teacher, in pairs or in groups, possibly on projects, where the contribution of individuals can be difficult to assess

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Free tools for creating rubrics:
- RubiStar
- Quick Rubric
- Rubric Maker

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How to design rubrics | Assessment for Learning

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Rubrics take many different forms. Some rubrics describe only three levels of performance; others have more. Sometimes the terminology used to describe the various parts of the rubric will differ. None of this really matters. The important thing is that the purpose of the rubric remains the same: it is used to make levels of performance explicit for both teacher and student.

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5.3x - 21cld learning activity rubrics 2012

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Formative assessment enables teachers to monitor and modify their teaching, and to assess learners’ progress, providing feedback and helping students understand their strengths and weaknesses and develop their ‘learning to learn’ skills. It involves techniques such as questioning, providing feedback, observing and listening.

In the link below, there are different tools for formative assessment:

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https://shakeuplearning.com/blog/20-formative-assessment-tools-for-your-classroom
Edpuzzle allows you to turn videos into a quick assessment. Choose a video on YouTube, Khan Academy, Crash Course, or upload your own. Trim the video, insert a quiz anywhere and track your students progress. (Freemium, basic account is free, additional features available with paid accounts.)

Edulastic is a complete assessment dashboard. Teachers can create and track assessments, and even align with CCSS. They also offer a district wide-platform for sharing district-wide assessments. (Free for teachers, district-sharing requires a paid license.)

Flipgrid is a video discussion platform, that allows students to respond to questions, topics, and reflect using video. Students can also respond to each other, leave comments, and more. (Free!)

Some have said that Gimkit is Kahoot on steroids. Gimkit is another fast-paced quiz game, but with an extra element. Student earn in-game cash to spend on game upgrades. Check out Leslie Fisher's review and video to learn more.

Inside Google Classroom, you have the option to create a questions and share that with students. You can make this collaborative, or just have the answers viewable for you the teacher. This is not a robust threaded discussion tool like I wish it was, but it can be handy for formative assessments and to check for understanding.

Formative is a free online assessment tool that is very robust. Formative allows teachers to choose pre-made assessments and edit to fit your needs, create your own from scratch, or even upload a PDF or doc to create. They also offer some fantastic data that you can track and intervene when needed. (FREE and integrates with Google Classroom!)

Google forms is a survey and quiz tool that is very easy to use. You can feed your form or quiz data into a Google Sheet for analysis and evaluation. Both Google Forms and Sheets also have many "add-ons" that give users even more capabilities that can power your formative assessments. (FREE)

InsertLearning is a Chrome extension that lets you turn any webpage into an interactive lesson. InsertLearning has this fantastic toolbar that will allow you to highlight text, add sticky notes, insert questions, videos, or even a discussion all inside the webpage! Learn more about InsertLearning here: 4 Ways to Blend Learning with InsertLearning. (InsertLearning is a freemium application, but you get your first five lessons for free.)

Kahoot! is a game-based learning and trivia platform that allows you to create very engaging quizzes for your classroom. Kahoot! is super fun and addictive. You can create your own kahoots, or choose from their library of games. Play live kahoots, in groups, issue challenges, or assign as homework. (FREE)

Mentimeter is an interactive presentation tool that allows you to poll your students, check for understanding, or ask students to vote. There are several different types of questions you can create, image-based, multiple choice, scales, open-ended, questions from the audience and more. You can even generate word clouds out of responses! (Freemium, some features are free.)

Nearpod is an interactive classroom tool for teachers to engage students with interactive lessons. Nearpod allows you to create and share lessons that sync across devices and encourage student participation, and evaluate student responses through comprehensive reporting. (Freemium, some features are free.)

Padlet is a super easy to way to create an online bulletin board that allows teachers and students to share and collaborate. What's great about Padlet is that it offers so much flexibility! It works on any device, and you can share just about any type of information-text, links, upload files, photos, videos, just about any kind of response. There are also many different ways you can design your pages. Customize the background, organize information in new ways. (Free trial available)

Pear Deck is a web-based formative assessment tool that allows you to create interactive lessons using G Suite tools. The Google Slides add-on has quickly become a favorite of mine. (I even teach it in my Google Slides Master Class!) Pear Deck offers a library of free templates that you can use to created interactive assessments in your slides. Pear Deck is also a freemium tool, some features are free, but you can get a 3-month Premium Membership with this special link for Shake Up Learning readers!

This assessment tool allows teachers to collect on-the-spot formative assessment data without the need to have students use devices or paper and pencil. Teachers create and print specially coded cards that students hold up in class as their response. The teacher uses the Plickers app to scan the cards and collect the data. (Free)

Poll Everywhere is a live audience polling tool that integrates into your presentation. You can ask questions during your lessons, see live data, and reports. (Freemium, free accounts are limited to 25 responses per poll.)

Quizizz allows you to conduct student-paced formative assessments in a fun and engaging way for students of all ages. Quizizz works on just about any device and offers a library of public quizzes that teachers can use in their classrooms. They also provide detailed class and student reports. (FREE)

Quizlet is a study tool that uses flashcards, games, and other "study sets." to help students. Quizlet Live is a collaborative quiz game where students are placed into teams to work together to answer the questions and learn together. (FREE)

Seesaw is a digital portfolio and communication tool that many teachers love! Seesaw works on any device shared or 1:1. Free for teachers. Teachers create activities for students. Students draw, take pictures and video, and capture their learning in their portfolio. Parents can view their students work and leave comments. (Freemium, some features are free.)

Socrative is a web-based formative assessment tool that allows teachers to create quizzes, ask questions, collect exit tickets and feedback. You can also create a competitive quiz bowl game, called, "Space Race," where students compete to get the most answers correct. (Freemium with up to 50 students per session.)

Spiral.ac is an interactive learning platform with a suite of collaborative applications. Deliver quick fire formative assessments, discussion, teams of students can work together to create presentations, and turn any public video into a live chat with questions and quizzes. (Freemium, some features are free.)

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https://shakeuplearning.com/blog/20-formative-assessment-tools-for-your-classroom Edpuzzle allows you to turn videos into a quick assessment. Choose a video on YouTube, Khan Academy, Crash Course, or upload your own. Trim the video, insert a quiz anywhere and track your students progress. (Freemium, basic account is free, additional features available with paid accounts.) Edulastic is a complete assessment dashboard.

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Share your ideas about formative assessment in the classroom. Explain what you do (or would like to do), how and why.
Since I work as a school counselor, I don't use summative assessment at all.
In my workshops, I sometimes assess students' work in a way that we talk about what they've done, I ask them if they think they did their assignment correctly, what could be improved and how.

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2.3 Tools to collaborate, create and play

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2.3 Tools to collaborate, create and play

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Learning is a social experience
- today we have apps that include and involve all students
- all students can share their ideas on digital canvas

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Learners are knowledge producers
- in the past, learners were knowledge consumers; they're productive activities were limited
- today students can be active investigators, designers, creators
- with technology they can produce knowledge themselves
- active knowledge creation - process in which students are confronted with data and information to be interpreted, analyzed, evaluated
- through work in digital environment students need to be more active and collaborate with each other

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The subject was ecology and we talked about what we can do to keep our forests clean.
My students created an e-book about saving the forest.
First they wrote a story where animals were main characters and they cleaned their forest of all garbage.
Afterwards they drew images for all parts of the story.
Then they scanned every drawing and added text on it.
In the end they made an e-book of all the pictures in an app they have learned.

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I am so happy Mrs A. Pavličević was my English teacher because she helped me fall in love with languages, especially English language, and to enjoy using it every way possible.

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Gamification:
- making a learning activity playful by adding game-like elements, e.g. scoring, competition, rules

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Gamification isn't simply the concept of making things fun - it also has a purpose to motivate people toward reaching specific goals. Gamifying the classroom is a great concept especially for those reluctant students and if done right, everybody has a better learning experience. It's about using game mechanisms to engage your students and motivate them towards a goal. It's also about creating a safe place to fail. Before I start any new gamification strategy for students I think about this one question: How can I teach students to FAIL and LEARN FROM THAT FAILURE in a safe place?

To help you get started gamifying your classroom, our education team wanted to offer some ideas that to get started:

Implement Education Technologies - Educational technologies have come a long way from the SMART Board - and it's awesome! There are many options online, in the app store, and even at your local retailer. When you're choosing the right tool for you and your classroom, keep in mind what you want to use it for and what other functionality it has to offer. STEM Village gives you access to curriculum aligned content, curated from the best and most innovative resources available today. You can connect to students and their parents while receiving weekly updates on each student's progress, what they are struggling in, and what they are excelling at. Students have fun while learning through interactive lessons and exciting virtual experiences. Each skill students learn are paired with games, labs, and quizzes so students can test their own understanding while earning points along the way.

If you want to get your kids or students engaged with STEM education in a fun and effective way, start a free trial today.

Our children deserve the power of knowledge and the confidence to learn. Join the conversation with STEM Village on Facebook and Twitter.

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Gamification isn't simply the concept of making things fun - it also has a purpose to motivate people toward reaching specific goals. Gamifying the classroom is a great concept especially for those reluctant students and if done right, everybody has a better learning experience.

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Share your ideas on gamification in the classroom. Maybe you already have some experience or have seen some examples?
In my workshops I often use Kahoot! as a means of checking what my students have learned. The students like it a lot and are very happy when they get to play and compete.
As for classic games, I also have some memory cards for internet safety and a game similar to Ludo for different activities (where I design questions and tasks depending on the workshop subject).
In my experience students like all kinds of games because they make learning interesting.

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Jigsaw Planet - making jigsaw puzzles
Students have to put together the picture of an oil rig for an ecology workshop:
https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=19ca71164c05

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Naftna platforma - jigsaw puzzle (30 pieces)

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Explore the world jeopardy ga

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The largest country in Asia , The country where the Pope lives

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Quizlet flashcards

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Start studying Cartoons. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.

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I like quizzes and my students like them too.
We often play Kahoot! I like to make Kahoot! quizzes both for work and also for my personal hobby Book Club.
My colleagues also give students assignments - to make a Kahoot! quiz for homework and some of them even use them as tests. Students love that, too.
The only problem we encounter is that we often don't have one device per student, so sometimes with the school tablets, students' mobile phones and my phone, we still don't have enough for everyone. Then they have to play in pairs. But they still enjoy playing quizzes and we manage.
In the link is one of my quizzes. I made it for a workshop about addiction (that's why it's in Croatian).

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Technology can help to make the classroom more inclusive and help to differentiate activities for students with different needs – particularly important with active learning.

Learning is not the same for all

- integrating technology gives you the possibility to differentiate and personalize a digital learning environment
- it is perfectly possible to create learning experiences for individuals or for groups with specific needs

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U2-A15: Teaching in an inclusive classroom

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U2-A15: Teaching in an inclusive classroom

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How to make your classroom more inclusive? How to make your learning resources more accessible?

- images alongside text
- apps supporting text to speech
- quantity of text on the slide, size of font, type of font, color of paper, images on the paper
- simple resources, easy to use

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How to make your learning resources more accessible

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Understood.org is a website that gives a lot of information about inclusion in the classroom.

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How can we help?

I am a parent or caregiver and want help with behaviors , learning , and everyday skills

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Understood - For Learning and Thinking Differences

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Understood.org is the resource that helps the 70 million people with learning and thinking differences anticipate the challenges, barriers, or opportunities in life and confidently reach their potential.

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My thoughts regarding inclusion in the classroom

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My thoughts regarding inclusion in the classroom

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I've been working as a school counselor for ten years now and I've come across the issue of inclusion many times. It is not always easy to organize classroom inclusion for all students because they all have different needs. But it is important to be patient, not to lose faith and give up and also good organization is very important. When we start working, we can't make it perfect right away. But with time, patience and experience we'll all be able to organize better classes for all our students.

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Think of a topic often taught or an activity that frequently takes place in the classroom, for example teacher asking the class questions, working in groups, or topics like pollution, healthy eating, fake news. How could activities be differentiated to take more account of learners’ different needs, abilities and preferences? Aim for three different ways of learning about the same topic or doing the same activity.
My topic could for example be ecology, specifically waste management.
The strongest part of students could research about waste management, call our waste management company and arrange a visit to it. Afterwards they would present their work in Prezi or Adobe Spark.
The middle group would learn about waste management from school books and solve different tasks in the books.
I would help the weakest group to investigate how we divide waste and in which container we put what kind of waste (yellow, green, blue...).

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U2-A17: What if your classroom is not well equipped?

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U2-A17: What if your classroom is not well equipped?

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In my school we don't have enough devices for every student. We have one smart board and one laptop per classroom and also 10 tablets in school.
That's why we often invite students to bring their own devices to school. If they don't have one, we help them with tablets from school or with our own mobile phones. Or they work in pairs.
We also do different tasks on the smart board that can include all students (like Coggle, different games and apps where all students can participate).

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Unit 3: Unlock the Classroom – Active Space 

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Unit 3: Unlock the Classroom – Active Space 

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-  today school is a place for learning, but also for living and growing, a space where students feel at home and where they can develop all aspects of their personality to be ready for a demanding society
- school's learning space is physical and virtual space now

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- the idea behind creating a homelike environment at school is that more comfort results in better learning

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Share your views and suggestions about this radical transformation of classrooms into living rooms.
I agree that you learn better if you feel comfortable. And I think students would enjoy coming to a classroom which is full of colors, comfy places for different activities and filled with different and interesting resources.

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Rows and rules! That's the paradigm serious educators held back in the day. You know, "Learning happens when students are at their desks with order and quiet." Today, teachers are discovering an easier and more engaging way to empower students to own their learning and their learning environment. Find out how one teacher made the shift to flexible seating.

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Rows and rules! That's the paradigm serious educators held back in the day. You know, "Learning happens when students are at their desks with order and quiet." Today, teachers are discovering an easier and more engaging way to empower students to own their learning and their learning environment.

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What initiatives could be taken to give students agency in making a school a homelike environment? What could they be responsible for?
Perhaps when we plan how the new classroom should look like and what parts would it consist of, we could ask our students to choose. They could also help us choose what furniture we'll put in the classroom, the resources they would like to use... But also their responsibility is going to be to keep the place tidy and take care of all the things in the classroom.

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Describe how this space could give an additional pedagogical value. What type of activities could take place in it?
In this interesting classroom i see potential for different types of activities. There are spaces for students to engage in their own research or independent work, places for group work. I can imagine students and the teacher sitting on the pad on the floor reading (or telling) stories. The pad and the balls can also be used for physical activity or even for relaxing. The classroom can also serve as a traditional learning space. I think the students would enjoy learning in this environment.

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Steps on How to Teach in an Active Learning Classroom

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Steps on How to Teach in an Active Learning Classroom

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Write a short reflection on the ideas promoted in the video.
I would say that I follow the principles from the video in my work. I try to engage students on many different levels. Our classrooms are traditional, but we move around the classroom a lot depending on the activity. We rearrange chairs and tables and we sometimes go outside to the school yard.
As for the learning process itself, we learn in many different ways. We do different kinds of group work, games, we have different collaboration assignments. I try to mix digital and analog tasks and try to use more digital tools and apps because I see that students enjoy learning that way. And I guide them all the way through lessons depending on their needs and abilities.

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Steps on How to Teach in an Active Learning Classroom  - Steelcase Education

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The idea is to have three groups. In one group all students research a problem together, either through reading or surfing the net and discussing about their findings. The second group listen to a presentation of either the teacher or one of their peers. Of course, here they are allowed to comment and discuss.
And the third group is divided in small groups or pairs and they're observing a project or an experiment.

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- schools, teachers and students are changing
- being a teacher is no longer a solitary occupation it used to be
- as a teacher you can set up online collaborative projects with other schools (eTwinning)

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U3-A7: eTwinning for Teacher Training Institutes

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U3-A7: eTwinning for Teacher Training Institutes

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International collaboration is a very important concept in our society. It is definitely a good thing, not just for teacher trainees, but for all of us. When collaborating with other experts in the field, whether in your own city/region/country, or internationally, one gains new experience, learns new examples of good practice, things one can use in his/her own work. Collaboration with colleagues from other countries enriches us.
I've been working on eTwinning projects for several years now. It is a good experience for both me and my school. I don't see any downsides in international collaboration and working on eTwinning projects.

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- technology brings the real world into the classroom
- teachers take their students out of the classroom to learn in the world outside
- schools organize trips to museums, theaters, science centers or the natural environment
These are some of the ideas for learning outside:

https://www.fattiretours.com/45-travel-themed-lesson-plans

http://www.supportingeducation.org/2013/02/28/learning-outside-outdoor-classroom-activities/

https://www.forestschoolassociation.org/what-is-forest-school/

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Lesson suggestions of inspiration to spark ideas for what you can do on the day and all year round.

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Share your idea(s) for outdoor learning and field trips. What benefits does learning outside the classroom have, according to you? What are the risks and challenges? How to overcome them?
There are so many benefits of learning outside... enjoying the nature is good for the health (we move, breathe fresh air, don't look at the computer screen, don't sit behind the school desk all day...). It is good for the mind, body and soul.
Also when we go out in the real world, we see first hand things we would otherwise learn only in our books or on computer screens.
Children learn how to behave in different situations (for example in the theater or a cinema), how a bank or a library looks like, what is polite in a restaurant or on a bus...
We organized many different field trips. Some of the examples are: water games, bike trips from one school to the other, football tournaments, visits to the cinema, theater, museums (organized workshops), winter Olympics, reading in the hay, etc...

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Such an inspirational video...

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Kansas Students Solve Water Crisis for School in Kenya over Skype

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Digital footprint

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Four Reasons to Care About Your Digital Footprint

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I use social media and I have Facebook and Instagram profiles but they are private and I try not to spread too much of my personal information on them.

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This is definitely something that's become a trend. I don't know whether I agree with it or not, but I still try not to post anything offensive online. I heard that one kindergarten teacher was fired recently because she was being indiscreet on social media.

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This video talks about the consequences of posting your photos online (and sharing them with others), which is one of the problems I frequently come upon in my work with children. I could definitely use it in one of my safer internet workshops.

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- Mentimeter
- Wooclap
- Quizlet
- Jigsawplanet
- Quizizz
- Bit.ly quiz
- Kahoot!
- Flippity

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4.1 Curation

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Coggle is a tool I use sometimes when I want to make a mind map with my students.
It is a great way for them to think about a problem and come up with solutions together.

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Coggle is online software for creating and sharing mindmaps and flowcharts. It works online in your browser: there's nothing to download or install. Log in to start diagramming!

Whether you're taking notes, brainstorming, planning, or doing something awesomely creative, it is super simple to visualise your ideas with Coggle. Share with as many friends or colleagues as you like. Changes you make will show up instantly in their browser, wherever they are in the world

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The clear way to share complex information. Coggle is a collaborative mind-mapping tool that helps you make sense of complex things. Create unlimited mind maps and easily share them with friends and colleagues.

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Vlaho Bukovac - Hrvatski narodni preporod (Croatian revival)
A famous work of Vlaho Bukovac, Croatian painter, made for the curtain of Croatian National Theater. Depicting the glorification of Illyrian rebirth, it represents famous Croats Ivan Gundulić, Ljudevit Gaj, Antun Mihanović, Vatroslav Lisinski, Petar Preradović, etc.
Attribution:

Identifier:

MUO_016069

Institution:

Muzej za umjetnost i obrt, Zagreb

Provider:

AthenaPlus

Providing country:

Croatia

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The passwords for the movies are: school, playground, pen, pupil

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U4-A4: Make your own curation board or list

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U4-A4: Make your own curation board or list

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I already have an account on Pinterest and I collect pins mostly related to my work. I have made several workshops with a lot of interesting resources from Pinterest. I made workshops on social skills, kindness, politeness, nutrition...
I also used resources in crafts and games for Valentine's day.

Other curation boards are: Pearltrees, Symbalco, Diigo

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In the age of the Internet it is easy to select, copy and adapt resources and create and share your own content. In education, such a sharing culture can inspire other teachers and suggest new ideas. Adapting learning materials, completely or partly based on what others have already produced, allows you to have up-to-date resources, gives you the opportunity to differentiate and produce slightly different materials for different profiles of learners, and enables you to add your own touch to the learning content.

It is important to respect the author’s rights.

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0:00 / 2:49•Watch full video

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Select a resource that could be useful for you and point out why this resource is interesting for you.

I chose this resource because my school is an Eco school and we research waste management. This lesson plan could help me in my work, change my own lesson plan a little bit and make the lesson more interesting.

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3RC (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Compost)

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In this lesson, students expand their understanding of solid waste management to include the idea of 3RC (reduce, reuse, recycle and compost). They will look at the effects of packaging decisions (reducing) and learn about engineering advancements in packaging materials and solid waste management. Also, they will observe biodegradation in a model landfill (composting).

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https://www.oercommons.org

http://lreforschools.eun.org

https://education.microsoft.com/find-create-and-share-a-lesson/lesson-plans

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U4-A7: Share an idea for a learning activity

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U4-A7: Share an idea for a learning activity

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Describe a successful idea for a learning activity you used (or have seen) when teaching in no more than ten sentences, so that other course participants can copy or adapt it.
The activity is called Kind words. I found it on Pinterest. To carry it out you will need sand paper and cotton wool. First you give your students cotton wool, they need to touch it and describe what touching it feels like. You compare it to kind words. They make you feel nice like the cotton wool. Than you give them sand paper and do the same procedure. You compare it to the unkind words and tell them that unkind words make you feel hurt like sand paper. You develop conversation about kindness upon that two examples.

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Find a picture, video or text that holds a Creative Commons License and that could be relevant for you to create teaching materials. Post the item on one of the Padlets below, explain why it is interesting and give credit to the author.
This video describes how organic waste can bi turned in several forms of energy and reused. It explains that problem in a very simple, interesting way and I can use it in my Eco school work.
It was uploaded by don o'mato.

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infographics video for a basic introduction to waste management and biogas production. concept and production by fh-joanneum in cooperation with onomato for enbasys biotech energy

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Suggested websites:

https://creativecommons.org/about/program-areas/education-oer/

http://europeana.eu

https://www.flickr.com/creativecommons

https://vimeo.com/creativecommons

http://freemusicarchive.org/curator/Creative_Commons

http://pixabay.com

http://comicbookplus.com

etc.

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Download a picture you are allowed to adapt. Select a picture in the field of education, technology, science, art, etc. Make an adaptation and post both original and adaptation in one of the Padlets below, giving credit to the author if needed.

Original:
Image by Santa3 from Pixabay

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My adapted copy:

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Websites:
- Pixabay
Unsplash

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-  in your work you need constant practice to become advanced
- feedback from others is important, because sometimes we are not aware how we can improve
- peer review leads to reflection about your teaching practice and can inspire you
-  you can learn a lot from colleagues

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The behavior of this class is not something that is happening for the first time. They know that they can behave like this in every class of this teacher because she probably didn't deal with their inappropriate behavior since the beginning. She didn't earn their respect in any way. I'm not sure if she can do anything to fix the situation now.
But she should definitely have addressed the students' behavior, throwing papers and yelling and not wait for them to calm down. If she couldn't do it on her own, she should definitely have asked for help from her colleagues, the headmaster or pedagogue/psychologist.

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0:00 / 2:53•Watch full video

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I like this idea of capturing lessons on video with the aim of watching them later and improving teaching and engaging students more...
I have not been filmed while teaching. It is not a practice in my country. Although, I have thought about it and I think (even if I would probably be very embarrassed at first) this is a great idea and it would help me improve my teaching.

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Using Video for Professional Development

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U4-A12: Tools for self-reflection and peer review

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U4-A12: Tools for self-reflection and peer review

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I don't use any online tools for self-reflection. But I think about my teaching after every lesson/workshop I do. I write a small "report" for myself where I assess how I'm satisfied with my work, were the students active, if there were any problems, did I do all that I have planned...
I also invite my colleagues to be in the class and later I talk to them about it. I think that's a good way of self-reflecting.

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4.4 Learning in communities U4-A13: To MOOC or not to MOOC?  

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4.4 Learning in communities U4-A13: To MOOC or not to MOOC?  

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This is my fourth MOOC and I like learning this way because it's an online course which I can attend at home in my free time. I don't have to be in another school or organization at a specific time and be absent from work. It is also interesting because through a MOOC I get to learn new and interesting ideas from people all around Europe which sometimes differ from the way we do things in my country.
Also MOOCs are not just boring listening or reading. I get to participate with my own thoughts, ideas and examples of good practice.
I like watching videos and learning to use different apps and tools, most of it I wouldn't come across if I didn't join the MOOC.
So, from me thumbs up for the MOOC. :)

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Microsoft Education courses: https://education.microsoft.com/courses-and-resources/courses

I chose this video because it talks about the importance of collaboration in modern society.
I find it sometimes quite hard to get my students to collaborate, so this is one important aspect of work I need to pursue.

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- collaboration
- active learning
- useful apps and tools