Blogging- Week 4

The internet is a huge place full of so many resources. Some teachers are great at discovering new technology and others find themselves drowning in every new app and update. There are so many great websites to discover new technology and learn how to use it. Youtube is a great resourse to search new tools, designs and learn how to use it with an instructional video. A lot of times teachers will hear through word of mouth a great new tool, but they will have

no idea how to apply it to their classroom and how to work it themselves.


I feel that the most beneficial resource to discovering what is best in the technology world is blogs. It is so beneficial to follow as many blogs as you can keep up with. Teachers from around the word are blogging about what they they do and don't like in their classroom. They blog about new things that they try and how they use them in their classroom. It is such an easy way to bounce ideas off with other teachers in the same boat as you.

The creators of the technology, apps, devices, and programs have blogs as well. They blog about specifics in how to use the tools, what to use them for, and the reviews of whether or not it was successful. I follow and read blogs now and I will until the day I die. Blogs are such a great way to get informed in a relatable fun manor. 

Technology Tool #1 Lexia Core 5

Lexia Core 5 is a technology tool that can be accessed through a website, or an iPad app. It can be downloaded though the App Store and is simple to get started. Students will need a k-12 email or log-in to be able to discover the app.

The purpose of Lexia Core 5 is to easily build a solid foundation in reading. Students will be able to work through each standard at their own pace. The app is student centered but the teacher has options to become more involved as well. The teacher can see each of his/her students from the admin account and will be able to easily assess his/her students. It is very interactive and fun for students. The app takes many different approaches to learning so it tends for students of all needs. It is nice for learning at different paces because excelling students can move on to more challenging lessons while struggling students can remain at a certain lesson until they get it as well as trying new methods to maintain a concept.

Lexia Core 5 is very simple to navigate. Students get an individual iPad from a classroom set, open up the Lexia Core 5 app and sign in. They should have a short username and password set up. They will be brought to a screen that shows grade levels and standards. They can choose where they want to start, or the teacher can pre determine where he/she wants the students to start. After they have decided on where to start, the students will be taken through the entire program slowly. One activity leads to another.  When they get past a level, Lexia Core 5 will take them to a new ‘country’. Students love this aspect of Lexia Core5. It makes them feel accomplished and they get to explore some things about a new country. They are always so excited to say “Look!! I am in Spain now!”

Lexia Core 5 is great for kindergarten-6^th grade. There are activities for a wide age range with the ability to go up or down if there is a learning disability. Lexia Core 5 can be used to teach reading, writing, grammar and literacy in the classroom as a lesson in place of the teacher lecturing. Lexia Core 5 can also be used as a tool to be used in free time. If students finish a project early, they can grab an iPad and work on some reading strategies. Lexia Core5 could be used as an incentive program that provides rewards. If the teacher sees a student spending a lot of time using Lexia Core 5, or if they see a student excelling on levels, or just trying their best, the teacher could recognize that student and give him/her a small prize.

Teaching above the Line

Teaching above the line is always a goal to shoot for when teaching. Using SAMR (substitution, augmentation, modification, and redefinition) makes it easier to reach that goal. SAMR is a great way to get teacher's brains thinking about the next steps that can be taken to make their lesson better. Using any of the four levels of SAMR will help teachers redesign lessons to make them more fitting into the growing future. Technology is moving so fast that it is almost impossible to keep up with but SAMR will hopefully give you the push to keep moving. 

SAMR is best used during the creation of the lesson plan and thinking process. It is used to better a lesson and rebuild it to the best it can be. After the lesson is completed using SAMR, that is when students can view it and work on it as assigned. 

The tool I decided to focus on is an app called Lexia Core5. Lexia is an interactive reading program filled with standards based activities for pre-kindergarden through fifth grade. It is a tool where teachers can assess and track where students are as they move through levels. Teachers can easily see if students are struggling or excelling. 

The difference between SAMR and Lexia core5 is that Lexia is a high level of technology. Using SAMR, teachers could break Lexia down to a smaller less powerful tool, or they could think of ways to redefine it. There are many ways teachers could use SAMR with Lexia to change the way of the app.

   

Both SAMR and Lexia Core 5 will benefit me as a teacher in different ways. I believe that Lexia will help to benefit my students as they learn reading. It is an interactive fun way that makes students want to learn. SAMR will help me turn paper/pencil assignments into creations similar to Lexia.

SAMR relates to TPACK because it is important to be aware of all technology. Teachers need to have a general understanding of technology and how it works to help them to be a better teacher for their students. With the help of TPACK, teachers will be able to easily use apps and programs similar to Lexia Core5.

All About Me!

     My name is Claire Sherman and I am a Junior at Iowa State studying elementary education. I have endorsements in english/language arts, reading, and I am working on the learning technologies minor. I absolutely LOVE it here at Iowa State and could not imagine myself anywhere else.

     I started off my college career at the University of Northern Iowa and decided that it was not the best fit for me. I stayed for a year and enjoyed my time but transferring was definitely worth the hassle. 

     I am originally from Ames, so being back on my stomping grounds really has its perks. I love being around my friends and family, going to sporting events, and getting involved around campus. 

     I am very active in my sorority and love being pushed to be the best that I can be everyday. I am so happy to be studying something I am so passionate about and am extremely excited to start my career as a teacher.