Accessibility = Inclusivity

Accessibility refers to the ability for everyone to use products and services easily. This means that all people, including those with disabilities, should be able to fully participate in life activities without any barriers. As a special education teacher, accessibility for my students is of the utmost importance to me. When students are given the necessary tools to succeed, their world becomes so much bigger and brighter!

Image Source: Redbubble

In my district, students are fortunate to be 1:1 with iPads. With this technology, there are many accessibility features for students to use. While these are great tools for students with disabilities, accessibility features can actually be beneficial for all! Check out my infographic and read below to learn more.

Image Source: Author Created Infographic via Canva

In exploring some of the accessibility features on the Generation 9 iPads, some of the most interesting and applicable features for my current position include VoiceOver, Switch Control, Speech, Magnifier, and Display and Text Size Adjustments. With these features, students reap the following benefits:

• VoiceOver: Reads aloud text on the entire screen, allowing individuals with vision impairments to navigate and interact with apps and content. This would also be beneficial for students who struggle with decoding or are non-readers. 
• Switch Control: Allows students with limited mobility to control the iPad using physical switches or adaptive devices rather than touch.
• Speech: Converts written text into spoken words, helping individuals with reading difficulties or visual impairments. This can also enables users to listen to books, articles, or other written content.
• Magnifier: Uses the iPad camera to magnify real-world objects and text. Users can zoom in on items in their environment and adjust brightness and contrast to increase visibility.
• Display and Text Size Adjustments: Allows for the increase or decrease of font size for easier reading, helping individuals with visual impairments or dyslexia.

While my current students do not rely on all of the above features, they are features that are important for me to understand as a special education teacher. In my experience teaching Extended School Year this past summer, I had the opportunity to work with students with more diverse and profound needs. Features such as VoiceOver and Switch Control were game changing applications for these students to access content and engage in their education.  In my current classroom, my students benefit from using the Speech and Text Size Adjustment features to have content on the iPad read aloud to them and presented in fonts that are easier for them to read when able. Another feature on iPads that is not included in the Accessibility menu but deserves an honorable mention is the Dictation function. This can be turned on through looking at the settings for your keyboards and is used most frequently by my students to dictate lengthy responses for writing. While it requires some practice and can experience glitches, this has been great for my students to use when they are getting fatigued or frustrated in the writing process. 

So, why is this important? Simply put, accessibility allows for equitable and inclusive learning experiences. Furthermore, these features can help foster independence within students, whether they have an identified disability or just need a bit of extra support within the general education setting to succeed. While I know there is still a lot on this topic that I can still learn about, I feel that being an ambassador for accessibility and sharing this information with other teachers at my school would bring us a few steps closer to building a more supportive environment that can benefit all of the students in our school!

Survey Says...

Screen Time

    Have you ever heard of the phrase "too much of a good thing"? When reading up on the March 2024 research on screen time from Pew Research, that was the only phrase that came to mind. In this article, researchers surveyed both teens and parents on a range of screen time related topics ranging from emotional ties to devices to the challenges parents are facing while raising kids in the digital age. 

Image Source: "How Teens and Parents Approach Screen Time", Pew Research Center

When taking the time to digest the key findings from these surveys, the one statistic that jumps out at me concerns distracted parenting. In my opinion, we are so quick to judge tweens and teens for being absorbed in their devices when parents and other adults can be just as distracted by tech; it's truly a situation of the pot calling the kettle black. Research shows that 38% of teens say they spend too much time on their phone, while 47% of parents admit to spending too much time on their phones. What's more interesting is how the percentages vary when taking into account outside factors, such as household income or race. When looking at households that have an annual income of $75,000 or more, 50% of parents would say they spend too much time on their phones. Alter the annual household income to those who earn $30,000 or less per year and we see a 12% decrease to only 38% of parents-- could this maybe be attributed to the possibility of having to work multiple jobs to meet ends meet? 

Image Source: "How Teens and Parents Approach Screen Time", Pew Research Center

  Additionally, when it comes to parental distraction, parents are seeing things through rose colored glasses compared to their teens. According to Pew Research, nearly half of teens (46%) say their parent is sometimes distracted by their phone when trying to talk to them; 8% of those teens would go one step further, citing that the distraction happens very often. In contrast, when asked to examine their own behavior, only 31% of parents say that their distraction with technology happens on a regular basis. While I am not a parent, I would be interested to hear my students' take on whether or not they feel I get distracted by various technologies when they need something during the school day!

Image Source: "How Teens and Parents Approach Screen Time", Pew Research Center

Social Media and Mental Health

    At some point or another, I feel that it is fair to say that everyone will struggle with some aspect of their mental health. The mental health crisis among young people has been well documented, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. But how much of a role can social media play in the growth or destruction of one's mental health status? Common Sense's 2023 report compares the relationship of social media and mental health to that of a double-edged sword. Through their work, researchers at Common Sense devised seven key findings. While all findings were eye-opening to me, the following stood out the most:

• Most young people encounter negative attacks on identity and body-shaming comments on social media, as well as identity affirming and body-positive comments.
• Social media is a double-edged sword for LGBTQ+ youth, offering both important opportunities for support and identity affirmation, and greater exposure to harassment and stress. 

While a majority of young social media users ages 14-22 will face body shaming and receive or see comments that are racist, sexist, transphobic, or homophobic in nature, social media can also provide a space to explore one's identity and uplift others. According to Common Sense's report, 68% of social media users often or sometimes come across comments celebrating a range of body shapes, sizes, and capabilities. Additionally, 63% of young people see comments affirming people of different racial or ethnic backgrounds and 63% see comments affirming people from the LGBTQ+ communities. While there is certainly much harm that social media can cause, I think it is refreshing and good to remember that social media can also provide a positive outlet for many to find their community and be uplifted as they discover and step into their identity.

Image Source: The Indian Express

Got Your Head in the (Word) Clouds

Active Learning

    

    Active learning is a teaching method that encourages students to engage with classroom material in more interactive and hands-on ways. Instead of simply listening to a teacher's lectures or reading textbooks, students participate in activities like discussions, group work, projects, or problem solving scenarios. This approach can help students understand and remember the information better because they’re actively involved in the learning process, rather than passively absorbing information.

    When I am planning for instruction, I try to focus on my students having a more active and engaging role to play than just sitting in their desks and listening to me drone on like one of the adults from Charlie Brown. While the lectures and the note taking are sometimes necessary, I am of the belief that if I am not having a good time teaching it, my students are more likely than not having a good time learning it. Implementing active learning strategies also allows me to sustain my students' attention for a longer period of time. I always take this victory, considering that most of my students' attention spans is akin to that of Dug the dog from the Disney classic, Up.

Image Source: GIPHY

Why Use Active Learning?

    Implementing active learning strategies in the classroom has many benefits for both teachers and students alike. For students, active learning leads to greater understanding of content, improves critical thinking skills, increases motivation, and fosters teamwork and collaboration among peers. As a teacher, I feel that using active learning strategies has boosted my students' engagement and allows me to see practical, concrete application of the skills I am teaching. Seeing how my students apply the things they have learned gives me a much clearer picture of their understanding of content as a whole, rather than relying solely on their performance on a traditional test. But don't just take it from me; hear what students at Cornell had to say about their experiences in a class that participated in the university's Active Learning Initiative!

Video Source: Youtube

Word Cloud Guessing

    Word cloud guessing is an active learning strategy that involves teachers creating and displaying word clouds to encourage discussion amongst students. In viewing the word cloud, students are challenged to guess the overall theme or topic the word cloud is describing. This strategy is often used prior to teaching a new topic, but could also be used after learning to informally assess student understanding or application of a concept.

    To test out this active learning strategy, I generated a word cloud for students to view as a way to kick off our new unit in Science about living things and ecosystems. I used the key terms and other important phrases from each lesson in this unit to generate the word cloud, then had students work with their table partner to read through the word cloud. Then, students had time to jot down ideas about what they thought was the learning topic and discuss as a class before opening their Science books to confirm their thoughts. I really enjoyed using this activity with my students because it was like watching them attempt to put together a puzzle with one missing piece. It was great to see them get excited about what we would be learning through seeing key terms they already knew and ask questions about terms that were unfamiliar to them. I will definitely be using this strategy again and would encourage you to try it out!

Image Source: Personal Word Cloud created using Mentimeter

For Your Reading Pleasure

• Use Word Clouds to Enhance Critical Thinking

• Literacy in Science: Word Clouds

• Using Word Clouds to Develop Proactive Learners

• Ten Active Learning Strategies Using Word Clouds

• 5 Ways to Use Word Clouds in the Classroom

• 10 Engaging Types of Word Clouds to Excite Your Classroom

Channeling My Inner Cartographer

    Earlier this week, as I debriefed with my teammates after a particularly long school day,  we swapped stories of our students' antics that we couldn't resist sharing. As I recounted my reactions to the various TikTok slang being hurled around my classroom and the (not so calm) way that I responded to being called "bro", one phrase came to mind that is the perfect descriptor for my class: "chronically online". In my opinion, many teachers would probably use this very phrase to describe their students, too. As members of Generation Z or Generation Alpha, all our students know is the presence of technology in their lives. As Marc Prensky would say, they are the true digital natives. 

    Being a younger millennial, I realize it might be a bit hypocritical of me to judge my students' technology usage and dependence. Admittedly, I can spend large chunks of time using technology and browsing on social media, but I feel my usage serves different purposes. While much of my scrolling is simply checking in on my feeds, lurking for a period of time and disappearing with a swipe of my finger, there are other platforms where I choose to dedicate more time, energy, and presence. In thinking about the duality of my relationship with technology and social media, David White would urge me to think of defining my interactions as being either a digital resident or a digital visitor.

Image Source: Medium

    Learning more about David White's perspective of digital visitors versus digital residents caused me to reflect on my place in the digital world. How would I label myself? Does that label change with the seasons or with the ebb and flow of the school year? In an effort to examine and understand my digital space, I created a visual map to plot the various platforms I use for both personal and professional endeavors.  To create my map, I used Canva, which coincidentally is a platform that I frequent both personally and professionally. Take a look below to learn more! 

Source: Personal Map created by author through Canva

    As a 21st century teacher and lifelong learner, I first want to dive into the professional half of my map. While I am not surprised that most of my daily used platforms skewed towards the resident side of my map, the one platform that stood out most to me was Blogger. Since resurrecting Miss B. Multiplies, Blogger has become a platform that I engage with quite often. Truthfully, I post more on Blogger than I do on my personal social media accounts! While a lot of the times it feels like I'm just throwing thoughts out into a void, I know this is a platform I can use to connect with others on a professional level, even if for a finite amount of time. This blog may not be for forever, but I appreciate the interactions I've had through my posts and look forward to contributing to it further.

    The personal half of my map is where things start to take an unexpected turn. Of all the social media apps I have on my phone, I was surprised to notice that Instagram and TikTok were the only two where I considered myself to be a resident of the platform. While these apps are the two that I spend the most conscious time on, I do not consistently post content for others to view. While I may not leave much of a trace, I do make the conscious choice to check on accounts I follow for enjoyment, even if it is for a small portion of my day. By contrast, Facebook, Pinterest, and X landed more towards the visitor side of my map. Prior to this exercise and considering what makes a resident and what makes a visitor, I would have expected a different outcome. However, if I really stop to think about it, I only use these platforms occasionally, when I need or am looking for something specific.  I use Facebook when notifications come through for our family page to see updates about relatives living out of state. Pinterest is my go to if I need a new recipe or am searching for a craft to do with the after school club I sponsor. X opens when my friends send me DMs with funny or relevant content they think I would enjoy. 

    So, how would I classify myself? I don't know if I'll ever have a clear answer on that. This map was created during the start of my school year, a time where I am using technology every single day. In the summer, I try to make more of an effort to disconnect from both professional and personal platforms. I think it would be interesting to repeat this process and see how the June version of my map compares to the September version of my map. While I'd like to say my TikTok consumption would be less frequent, I can't make any promises. I hate to say it, but there's a chance I'm just as "chronically online" as I think my students are!

Trends in Educational Technology: Games for Learning

 Games For Learning

    As the field of education continues to evolve, various trends have emerged and are here to stay due to technology's ever increasing presence in our schools.  Outlined in this blog post from ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) are eight such trends they have identified, spanning from ideas such as equity and inclusion, to project-based learning, and even the use of augmented, virtual, and mixed reality in the classroom. One topic that I think will stand the test of time and continue to grow even more in popularity is the concept of using games for learning. What student doesn't want to have fun when they're at school? Why should teachers have to choose between work and play when there are tools out there that can accomplish work through play? 

Image Source: Pickcel

    When I think of the various tools that are more game-based in nature that I have at my disposal, the first that comes to mind is Gimkit. Gimkit is an interactive educational platform designed to make learning more engaging through game-based quizzes. This platform is used by many teachers at my school as a tool to help students review concepts taught in class and as a way to prepare for assessments. When using Gimkit, students have the opportunity to play as an individual or on a team to earn virtual currency and different power-ups. Truthfully, my knowledge and use of the platform is limited. I really enjoy using other platforms with similar ideas, such as Blooket and Kahoot, but my students seem to love using Gimkit so much that I feel I owe it to them to explore and try something new! Check out my screencast on Loom to see how I created a kit for my students and tested it out for myself!

Pros and Cons of Gimkit

    Pros:

• Engaging and motivating- students compete in real time to earn virtual currency and can use earned currency to customize their Gim (game pawn) or purchase power-ups.
• Variety of game modes- students can play as an individual or on a team and choose maps that have different objectives for them to accomplish.
• Immediate feedback- students know immediately if they got the question right or wrong, helping identify areas where they may need more practice.
• Customizable and premade quizzes- teachers can create their own kits with questions from study guides or notes, or search for kits in their library to find kits made by other educators on the same topic.
• Detailed analytics- teachers get a report of student performance for each question at the end of the game and can use it to reteach skills if needed.

    Cons:

• Learning Curve- it can take time for teachers to become familiar with using the platform and for students to understand how to play the various game modes.
• Risk of Distraction- students could focus more on playing the game and earning virtual currency rather than the content they should be reviewing.
• Cost/Limited free features- with the free/basic version, you are limited in the game formats you can play and many advanced features require a paid subscription.

For Your Reading Pleasure

• 5 Ways to Gamify Your Classroom- International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)
• 5 Ways Gamification Benefits Teachers and Students - Reflex
• Using Gamification to Ignite Student Learning - Edutopia
• Gimkit: How to Use It for Teaching - Tech & Learning
• Gimkit Review for Teachers - Common Sense Education

Quality Over Quantity: The SAMR Model

What is SAMR?

    The SAMR framework is a model designed to guide educators in effectively integrating technology into their teaching practices. Developed by Dr. Ruben Puentedura, SAMR stands for Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition. Each level represents a different level of technology integration, ranging from simple replacements or substitutions to larger, more transformative changes in how students use technology to learn and engage with educational content. 

    In the first level, substitution, technology directly replaces a traditional educational tool without functional change to existing practices. This could look like providing students with the opportunity to type a response that they would normally hand write. In the augmentation stage of SAMR, technology still replaces a traditional tool as it does in the substitution stage, but is improved to enrich the learning experience for students. With augmentation, students might have enhanced features at their disposal, such as spell check, grammar check, or text to speech functions to help them accomplish tasks in the writing process with greater ease than just simply typing up their work as opposed to handwriting it. Modification is where we begin to see more substantial changes and impact to classroom activities. In this stage, educators must rethink how to best present and complete tasks and in some cases, alter learning outcomes of a lesson. For example, modification in the SAMR model could look like a teacher redesigning a lesson or activity to be more collaborative in nature, where prior to modification, students would have been required to work independently. There are many tools and websites that teachers can utilize that allow students to collaborate. Check out this short video to learn about Canva Whiteboard, one such tool that can be used for student collaboration on projects and activities! The final stage of SAMR, redefinition, involves using technology to create new educational experiences that couldn't have been possible without the selected piece of tech. In doing some reading, I sense there is a growing trend of using virtual reality (VR) to accomplish redefinition and truly transform the educational experience. Even as recent as this past Spring, current students in the Education Department at University of North Georgia had been afforded the opportunity to use VR headsets in their online class on middle grade science education. In this online class, future educators got to truly experience what it was like to have the world in the palm of their hand and see first hand how integrating technology can transform their teaching.

Image Source: PowerSchool

SAMR in My Classroom

    When I think about the SAMR model, the first thought that pops into my head is "quality over quantity". It's one thing to have many technology options at your disposal. What is more important is how you as an educator uses the tools you have to make a true impact on your students' educational experience. While I would love to be the kind of teacher who can comfortably place herself in the "redefinition" stage 100% of the time with 100% of the subjects I teach, I realize that it isn't a realistic expectation to set for myself. With the tools that I have available to me and depending on the subject I am teaching, I feel that my place in the SAMR model ebbs and flows. For example, in my math class, I would probably sit mostly in the substitution stage. Students have the opportunity to use online platforms such as Reflex to practice their fact fluency, but this platform is just simply replacing the use of flashcards or worksheets and using gamification for students to grow in their fact fluency. However, if I were to focus solely on my use of technology in my Science class, I feel I would fall in the redefinition category, specifically when students get to do guided online science labs through the Gizmos platform. While it's not an Occulus headset, students use their iPads to step into different ecosystems, test engineering design concepts to build storm-proof homes, and even conduct chemistry experiments without leaving their desks. This platform is one of my greatest assets to help make my science class more hands-on and make the heavy content of our curriculum more understandable and exciting for my students.

    With time, effort, and creativity, I feel that I could potentially move into a more consistent position within the SAMR model. Specifically in my math class, I am excited to challenge myself to use the math side of the Gizmo platform to assign lessons that would extend my students' learning outside of our textbook. While it wouldn't quite move me into the redefinition category, I feel that using Gizmo lessons for math concepts like number sense, geometry, and measurement could move me from substitution into augmentation. These lessons would provide great enrichment opportunities and make learning more interactive and engaging. For example, one of my math groups is currently learning about decimals on a number line. On Gizmo, I was ecstatic to see that there is a "treasure hunter" activity, where students "drive" a desert highway searching for buried treasure. They have to use the car's tens, ones, tenths, and hundredths gears and a GPS system (number line) to find the right place to "dig". As I type this, I've already mentally added it to my lesson plans for tomorrow- stay tuned to see how the activity plays out with my students!