FERPA Regulations

As an educator, I protect the privacy of my students throughout the school year. The peak times that I have to protect this data is during school registration, graded materials, special education documents, public events, field trips, classroom celebrations, and social media posts. Each school has its own protocol in securing student files. At my school, we are required to store them in the office in alphabetical order. Registration documents must be signed in and returned when finished. These files are not to leave campus, and can only be viewed by school personnel that work with the student. Media and internet use forms are completed by parent guardians allowing students to participate in school media and use technology. Graded materials, medical information, and attendance are password protected. This is  also true for student special education plans. I have a list of student names that are able to be photographed for school media. I usually distract students that do not have authorization by sending them for water or delivering a note that keeps the occupied while photos are being taken. Classroom celebrations are ideal times where parents want to document quality time with their students and post on social media. I create a special space where parents and students sit to prevent other students that are not their child being posted on social media. I teach Kindergarten at this time; however, If I taught a graded level higher then First grade, I would have phone check ins and outs during the school day. This prevents the use of phones and social media during the school day by utilizing this policy. I have observed raw footage from social media posts of students on campus having sparing matches or humiliating teacher and peers in classrooms and restroom. Phones are great bring your own device tools for the classroom, but systems most be in place to prevent the abuse of these devices. It is always wise to have good things (digital devices) in moderation because it assists students in making sound decisions as digital citizens. Educators are responsible for protecting student privacy having a system in place helps tremendously.

3D Printer in the Classroom

Classroom 3D Printing

It consists of a CAD program where the object is designed, cut out, or hollowed out, and printed by the 3D printer. 

Whats new in 3D printing?

• Medical field is embracing 3D printing in the optometry area for eye prosthetic that assist in keeping the eye socket proportionate to the patients face.
• Veterinarians are using 3D printed masks to assist in the healing process of animal limbs. 
• Veterinarians  have used 3D printed ovaries for full term pregnancy in animals.
• Architects use a mobile construction 3d Printer to build a home
• 3D printed baby manikins with internal organs for the pediatric medical field

3D Printing Classsroom Integration

   3D printing can be incorporated into the classroom setting through the all academic subjects. It promotes student engagement as students solve real life challenges with items they invent and print. 3D printing makes art relevant again and encourages students to be inventors and good digital citizens.

The following lists projects can be used throughout all subject areas

Math

• Pattern Activity where students have to complete or create a pattern

Social Studies ( History)

• economic activity where students create a product to sale 

ELA

• create a character from a story 

Visual Arts

• create art using a three dimensional shape that holds an item

Science

• create an anatomical correct flower with labeled parts

Scratch for the Curriculum

Welcome to Scratch for the Curriculum! 

Here are five projects for Kindergarten that you may find valuable for student engagement in your classroom!

• Ready for use Scratch Lessons by Maytal Bendavid consists of 11 lessons supported by six  ready made scratch projects accompanied by video tutorials that describe how to code to create a game through coding with scratch website.
• Starting from Scratch By Jeremy Scott is a beginners lesson for coding. It consists of three detailed instructions of how to code for tutors and students. It also includes a screencastomatic video tutorial and media files from scratch.
• The Mixed Up Chameleon by ScratchED Team consists of coding with the integration of visual arts. Students create the art with paint, paintbrushes, paper plates, and scissors. Scratch is used to bring their individual art work to life as an animation. 
• Interest Driven Coding Curriculum by Jared O'Leary consists of 30 lessons that naturally introduce coding to students in Kindergarten through Second grade. 
• Scratch Across Every Subject by ScratchEd Team consists of multiple links that show how to integrate coding into all academic subjects. This is a must have for elementary educations there are over 50 games that inspire students to be attentive during class.

Scratch Coding

 I am excited to introduce Scratch to the educators of Davis Elementary School.  The following link Scratch Tour explains how Scratch can be integrated into the classroom setting.Scratch allows users to create and publish games, animations, and interactive story telling.This digital tool fully engages the student allowing them to code and create a product that address skills within the higher levels of Blooms Taxonomy such as analyze and evaluate. The finished products are published allowing students to share their work with other peers and perfecting the art of coding.

Diversity, Cultural Understanding, and Global Awareness

Diversity, Cultural Understanding, and Global Awareness 

As an educator, I model and promote diversity in my classroom by attending professional development that assist me in accommodating students with exceptionalities through the integration of QR Codes on learning menus that look the same, but are tier based upon ability level and curriculum standard. I model and promote cultural understanding through Nearpod and Storybird. Nearpod is an informational resource that allows me to personalize lessons content to highlight cultures that are present in my classroom. Storybird lends itself to student crafted stories that reflect the traditions and celebrations from within their culture compliment with an illustration. I model and promote global awareness through the use of digital-age communication and collaboration tools such as facebook messenger, google docs, google classroom, and classdojo. The aforementioned apps assist all individuals involved in education whether they be a parent, student, or education professional work together on projects and message one another on a local and global scale.

Gamification Delivery Systems

Gamification Delivery Systems

The three applications that I suggest educators use to gamify the classroom are Classcraft, Classdojo, and Reezly. The chart below identifies the application features of each device making it a beneficial tool for classroom management and behavior. Classcraft and Reezly allows students to take control of their own learning. The teacher assigns quest or tasks for the students to complete with instructions. Points are awarded for completion, or assignment is returned with feedback from the teacher regarding areas that need attention for a grade to be awarded. Classdojo assist students in monitoring their behavior in the classroom. Points are awarded and deducted depending on classroom rules and behavioral infractions in the classroom. All three applications communicate with students, parents, and educators in real time encouraging collaboration and engagement between all parties with profiles. Gamifying the classroom assist with classroom managament and allows srudents to determine the order in which they would like to complete tasks that are aligned with the curriculum. Gamifying the classroom is the way to go to produce responsible students that are equip with twenty-first century skills for college and career. 

VGo

VGo

What is VGo?

VGo is a mobile robot that acts as a medium between the individuals within the classroom and a student that is home bound due to medical conditions or special needs that prevent them from attending school. This is achieved through robotic telepresence which is the ability of the VGo robot to be physically present and relay information through teleconferencing on the webcam.The elements that are necessary to use an maintain the VGo technology are wifi internet connection, digital devices, VGo robot, and VGo cloud network.There are two models of VGo available the robot starts at $3995. 

Classroom VGo 

VGo is a practical device in the school setting as long as education professionals stress to the student body that the robot is as an education tool rather than a toy. The following is a list of benefits VGo has for students and educators within the school setting.

• VGo uses webcam and display allowing students and educators to see one another and classmates.
• VGo allows students to moves independently through out the school building along with peers. 
• students remain in good standing in attendance and academics.
• actively participate in collaborative small group projects.
• student operated