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What I've Gained from EDTS 325 - A Reflection

     Technology has been a pig part of my life. Whether it be school, work, or personal means, technology has incorporated itself into it. Throughout EDTS 325, I have learnt many things about technology that I can use within my classroom.      Coming into this class, I didn't really know how much I was going to learn. I already felt very comfortable with technology, and didn't think there was a lot more I could learn when it came to using it in the classroom. I was already familiar with Google and a bunch of its apps, having used them throughout middle and high school, and I didn't really know how much more complicated or in depth it could get. But wow, was I wrong! I learnt so much through this class, that I know I can use in my future classroom! I learnt a lot about how important technology can be in the classroom, and how you can make it have a strong purpose. I found out so many tools that can be both fun for the students, but hit lots of important outc...
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Google Tools for the Classroom - the Best Invention!

    Google is something I have used for a huge chunk of my life, both in a personal and school context. I would say I am very familiar with google, though I wouldn't say I am an expert. I am pretty advanced with technology and how to run Google, but prior to this lesson, there was a lot of Google apps that I had no idea existed. I already knew about Google Maps, as I use that tool pretty often. It is one of my favourites, because it is so easy to use and informative. It not only can show you directions and distances, but you can also go to locations and it will give you a blurb telling about the place, and showing photos. It combines Google Search, Maps, and Images into one, which I think is really useful in the classroom so students don't have to have several pages open just to find information about one place. It is very easy to use, and informative. It also can be a way for students to learn about other countries and cultures throughout the world, as they can observe differ...

Teachers Tea and a Reflection on PLNs

Professional Learning Networks on social media can help you as a teacher immensely. You can learn new ideas, and collaborate with other teachers. I learnt a lot from our EDTS 325 meeting with Teachers Tea's Kaila and Kristi. One of my big takeaways was that there are many platforms out there, and you can choose one that is best suited to your needs. So don't feel pressured to follow everyone else onto a certain platform. They chose instagram because of its several posting options, such as stories and reels. They also felt most comfortable with Instagram, so that was a big factor too. Another big takeaway was to embrace new tools, or else you will be left in the dust. I think that this is very important when it comes to PLNs, as you might find more updated materials and tools if you use updated social media. There are several positives, along with negatives when it comes to social media. Some positives are that you can learn so many new things. Social media brings endless amount...

My Favourite Teacher Blogs

EDTS 325 After digging through the deep, dark rabbit hole that is teacher blogs, I have learnt a lot. Every blog is unique in its own way. Some have its own theme in education, such as elementary or high school, teacher advice, or experiment ideas. Some have very professional writing styles, whereas others are more laid back and simple. Some sell their resources, whereas others just write and give advice, and some are ran by groups and others just ran by an individual teacher. Three teacher blogs stuck out to me that I know will be useful and are worth sharing! A teacher blog I found that will be very useful to me is The Trendy Science Teacher . This blog is valuable to me because I want to be a science teacher when I graduate. Filled with several different types of labs and experiments for all ages, I am provided with a lot of fun ideas, along with general ideas and thoughts when it comes to teaching. This blog is worth following because of its fun and colourful layout that is super e...

Teachers and Blogging: A Great Pair

EDTS 325 Blogging is something that I would have never connected to teachers. Teachers and blogging seems like a good mix, however. It would be a good way to find teacher resources along with teacher advice from people all over the world. It could be like a PD session from the comfort of your own home.  After reading several articles about blogging as a teacher, my knowledge was expanded to include many other ways blogging can be a useful tool for this profession. One of the things that stood out to me the most was that the reason many teachers don't blog is because they don't want to give up their privacy. In his article 4 Reasons People Don't Blog and Ideas to Help Change Their Mind , George Couros stated that blogging doesn't mean you have to give up all of your privacy. This was definitely an "ah ha" moment for me. When I think of blogging, I think of sharing your thoughts, but that doesn't mean sharing personal things, it just means sharing your opini...