Cherish's Blog

What a fun way to have students demonstrate knowledge on a topic. I was a bit frustrated with how many limitations my free subscription had. However, if a school invested in this program, it would have tremendous benefits for the students.  To be honest, I have heard the term "bitcoin" before, but I had no clue what it actually meant.  When I filed my taxes, one of the questions was about whether I had any virtual currency. The idea was so abstract to me. I am pleased to have a bit more knowledge about the topic now. It still feels abstract and vague, but at least I understand the securitiy of bitcoin and it allows me to be a bit more openminded about the concept of it.  That being said, I would never use it. I am very traditional person, and it is hard enough for me to use a debit card. Up until a year ago, I was paying for everything with cash. I prefer money to be tangible and the fact that there is absolutely nothing tangible about bitcoin is a huge deterrent for me. ...

            In the course of my teaching career I have experienced a variety of Learning Management Systems. My first teaching job entailed recording my grades in a traditional gradebook and pencil. At the end of each quarter I sat with a calculator averaging grades. I wrote out lesson plans on carbon copy paper and had to submit the bottom copy to my principal each week. My second teaching job was a bit more “progressive” in that we wrote in paper gradebooks and lesson plan books, but the school had a Xerox machine that we used to photocopy the lesson plans. After my ten-year hiatus from teaching to be a stay-at-home-mom, I returned to the classroom to discover that lesson plans and grades were now being recorded on a computer. I was introduced to my first online LMS, which was called MySchoolWorx. Just when I thought I was mastering that platform, my school switched to a different LMS called FACTS. I was amazed at the magnitude of potential that both...

This one was tricky!! I think it could be a lot of fun to make something like this to teach students a new concept that they may otherwise be resistant to learning.  I like how the Animaker option gives it the feel of a PowerPoint presentation, but with movement. It was very difficult for me to get the audio to line up with the slides. I'm sure with more practice it would happen more fluidly.  https://app.animaker.com/animo/A0td6Aif98lH4wji/

I created an infographic on Malware. My intended audience is the general population of adult computer users. This infographic gives the most common types of Malware, ways to protect against Malware, as well as the frequency of Malware attacks. My experience with Malware is limited to computer viruses that I have been able to delete through antiviral software. I have been fortunate, but I also believe I am fairly cautious with computer usage. I never open unknown links, I only shop online on Amazon, and I delete emails from unknown senders before opening them.  

                                   Trends in Technology      I did my Trends in Technology assignment on Generative AI. This topic interested me because it is something that is emerging and prevelent in my language arts classroom. This past week I collected essays from my middle school students that were supposed to be written using Writers' Workshop. I have AI detection in my writing program, and four students used AI to generate their essays. This is the first time my team has encountered this issue (or at least the first time we caught the culprits). We are now faced with the task of establishing an appropriate plan of action for when students use AI instead of engaging in the wrting process. We are also seeking ways we can incorporate AI into the writing process, such as by providing feedback to work generated by students. We have to move ahead with times. AI is in the forefront ...

     I have been using PowerPoint since I was first in college in 1996. It is the platform that I am most familiar with. However, I have found that things are changing in the world of education, and I started teaching at a school that supplies Chromebooks for the students.  I teach through a Google platform, and the students compose all assignments in the unknown (to me!!) world of Google. I am amazed at what my students can produce in their Google Slides presentations. It made me very aware that even though I have been using PowerPoint for almost thirty years, I have not tapped into the potential of what a slide presentation can become.      Since I am one of the "old-timers" and technology in the classroom is a newer concept for me, my school sent me to a Future of Education Technology Conference in January. I spent four days navigating the world of technology. I had the opportunity to attend two different sessions that introduced me to Canva. In the...