Stepping Through the Looking Glass and Into the Digital Age

I read the article titled, " 15 Characteristics of a 21st-Century Teacher ." This article was insightful on what qualities teachers that teach in the 21st century should start taking on whether they have already or not. I completely agree with all of the suggested qualities and feel that I have began the process of implementing some of them within my teacher experience as well. As I have read in this article, previous courses, and through personal professional developments, a student-centered approach to learning that includes collaboration and creativity through project-based learning is central to 21st century learning structures. This is definitely something that I agree with. Learning should be student-centered because learners are so different in regards to skill levels and interests and access to massive amounts of resources and information is at our student's fingertips; it would be a shame to see those resources that lead to engaging opportunities for our stu

Image Source: https://cdn.thinglink.me/api/image/413467334112444418/1024/10/scaletowidth The SAMR model framework is something that I have learned a little bit about in the past, but wanted to spend some more time exploring it so that the concepts could be solidified. From my research, I have learned that the SAMR model is comprised of 4-levels that provide teachers with a guide to help them make effective use of technology in their instruction. The four levels include substitution, augmentation, modification, and redefinition. As you move through these levels in the order mentioned previously, technology moves away from just enhancing a lesson and towards completely transforming instruction. This website link that Nicole shared with us helps to explain in more detail what the 4-levels of the SAMR model are. According the the SAMR ladder image posted at the top of this blog post, substitution refers to situations in which technology acts as a direct tool substitute with no fun

I began my data mine by conducting a simple Google search on myself. I typed my first and last name in between quotation marks for a more accurate search. I was not very surprised with what I found because I have actually googled myself many times before, just because I was curious what I would find. I don't have anything to hide, I just wanted to know what was out there. About ten pages pop up when my name is searched through Google. As I have discovered in the past, the links that pop up mostly connect to articles that mentioned my name in them from high school sporting events. I was a varsity diver, gymnast, and pole vaulter, and I remember newspapers interviewing me at meets and having pictures or articles in the paper about my performances, so I was never shocked to see some of those appear on a Google search. Some other links that pop up in the Google search are links that connect to apps that I currently use or have used in the past, such as "Happier", "