Julia's Blog

     It is important for classrooms to have accessible technology for all students, especially those with exceptionalities. Students that need more help with daily functioning skills or managing behavior should have access to assistive technology. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ensures that students with exceptionalities receive related services and a free appropriate public education. With the role of IDEA and the growing use of technology in schools, assistive technology should be readily available. The article, Using Assistive Technology to Empower Students with Disabilities by Micah Castelo discusses implementing technology that assists students of all abilities. The author starts the article by mentioning a school in Minnesota using Lenovo VR headsets and Google Expeditions for students with learning needs. This allowed students to become engaged in learning and practice their social skills.      The author uses Kara Ball’s expl...

     The tenth chapter of The Growth Mindset Playbook by Annie Brock and Heather Hundley reviews the moonshot mindset in classrooms. The chapter starts by explaining the origin of moonshot thinking. It began when Google focused on making 10x improvements. This was used in the Space Race of the 1960s; the United States intended on being the first to put a man on the moon in just ten years. With determination and imagination, this became a reality, and as a result, this began moonshot thinking. This can be used in a classroom to inspire students that anything is possible. Limiting students by telling them they are not good enough or their aspirations cannot happen because it seems impossible displays a fixed mindset. The authors make the following statement, “You’ve staked your life’s work on helping students succeed, so saddling them - or yourself - with limits to their potential for achievement is counterintuitive to the wager you made the moment you took your first teac...

          Technological advancement in classrooms is the usage of QR codes. The video, The Magic of QR Codes in the Classroom by Karen Mensing discusses the effectiveness of QR codes in teaching and learning. She starts the video by saying, “QR code stands for quick response code, and it’s a two-dimensional bar code that holds a good deal more information than a traditional bar code” (Mensing). This displays what a QR code is and how it differs from a traditional one. The speaker mentions that it takes you to tech-based experiences such as websites, videos, etc. QR codes make lessons more engaging and interactive; the students become enthusiastic about learning. This tool is also helpful for positive reinforcement. Mensing gives an example that can be used in the classroom, posting a list of QR codes in the room. When student needs feedback, the teacher can tell them to scan a specific QR code (labeled with a number), and each one could have a positive mess...

     The ninth chapter of The Growth Mindset Playbook by Annie Brock and Heather Hundley discusses how to increase engagement in the classroom with evidence-based strategies. This chapter uses Jal Mehta and Sarah Fine’s research to explain the lack of engagement in core classes compared to elective classes. Core classes consist of the teacher being in charge of the classroom, instructing the class, and assigning work. Whereas in elective classes, students had the opportunity to choose what class they wanted to be in, it allowed students to take leadership roles and emphasized teamwork. The researchers discussed core classes that were engaging with the following statement, “The most powerful core classes were those in which the teacher organized the learning around the production of an authentic experience… helped students acquire the mindset of someone in the discipline” (Brock and Hundley 125). This displays that even if teachers are teaching the most content does not m...

     As technology continues to grow, educators are looking for ways to integrate it into their lesson plans. Augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR) enable students to learn more collaboratively and creatively. The source,  The Promise of Immersive Learning: Augmented and Virtual Reality’s Potential in Education  by Ellysse Dick, discusses how AR/VR can enhance classroom experiences. Teachers can use this technology for virtual field trips, experiments, and simulations. The authors expand on this by saying, “Although research into the value and efficacy of AR/VR in education is ongoing, several studies indicate that AR/VR tools can enhance learning outcomes in both K-12 and higher education settings” (Dick). This displays that AR/VR can be a valuable tool for any grade, improving overall learning outcomes. COVID-19 resulted in many teachers struggling with online learning. Now that classrooms are beginning to return to normal, AR/VR allows teachers to del...