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All My Best from WordPress

On WordPress you will find all of the work that I have posted. In this post I want to highlight a few of my favorite posts for viewers to be able to see.

(Google) Form(s)ing New Ideas in VSEPR Theory
This posts demonstrates the amazing tool of google forms. Google forms provide so much flexibility for teachers to be able to use for formal or informal summative or formative assessments. In my post I made two google forms that may inspire you if you give them a try!
How AI Could Lead Future Teachers to Water, but not Make them Drink.
This post, in which the featured image was made by AI!, demonstrates some unique opportunities for use that AI provides for teachers. AI is new technology and can be quite scary, however; through viewing this post of mine, there may be some guidance that can help future teachers be able to use AI effectively.
My Two Week Winter Break
This post highlights my use of different types of media in WordPress which can be used in all classrooms and can be very beneficial to be able to share information, lessons, or student work with the classroom or parents.

I have learned a lot throughout my time using WordPress. Please feel free to comment on any of my posts and offer your point of view! I have learned that there are many technological resources that an be utilized very well with a little bit of practice. Many of these technological resources that I have used are not ones that I previously knew about. It has taught me to reach out and try new tools because I may find some that would be very effective in my classroom.

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I’m From the Central Valley

I am from the dirt, 
from mud smeared on my hands and face to
cracked and dry soil piled into a toy dump truck.
I am from swirling dust that kicks up as I slide across home plate.  

I am from water,
or rather lack thereof. 
I am from lucky summer days spent under a sprinkler,
pretending to make shampoo out of flowers,
and then retiring to my room with a fan to fend off 110° heat. 

I am from car horns honking 
as people scramble through 7 lanes, 
all with the simple goal of getting to their destination. 
From those who didn’t always understand
that everyone was just trying their best. 

I am from small trinkets and collections.
From every brand of sugar packet I could find
and perfectly organized bookshelves ordered by color and alphabet.

The smallest smells, sounds, sights, and feelings
will remind me of where I’m from.

I chose Microsoft Sway because it seemed more intuitive and I am more used to Microsoft tools. The way everything flows together feels less formal than a traditional slideshow and fitting for a simpler website. It’s also convenient that it saves in OneDrive which makes it a lot easier to access and keep track of.

Featured Image by Vista Wei on Unsplash.

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10 Years Isn’t as Long as it Seems

April 29th, 2023

Dear former me,

It seems like only yesterday, I was at UP. It was the spring term, 2023. 
So much has happened since then. The older you get, the faster time seems to move by and it'll be important to slow down and look back at where you've been. In just a few days you'll walk the stage and earn your BA in elementary education with a minor in psychology while your teaching license is being processed. 

You're able to find a local teaching job in a 4th grade classroom and the transition was just as difficult as you anticipated, but you managed to find strategies that worked and kept that job for 5 years while completing your MAT during two of those years. 

After earning this degree you began a career as a learning specialist at the same school. I'm sure this is no surprise, as your passion has been always helping children with specific learning needs or other disabilities that affect academics. While you felt like you were making a difference in students' lives as a teacher, you're now being able to help kids in the way you've always really wanted to. I know you worry and feel that you can't do anything to help certain students now during your student teaching when they're not receiving enough support, but now you have more agency and can do much more to ensure that students are not falling by the wayside. And it's not true that you aren't able to do anything to help those students you have now, you'll see. 

Anyway, you're finally far enough into your career and have enough stability that you can take a breath for once. All the work you put in over the last 16 years was worth it so thank you for sticking it out :)

Featured image by Diego PH on Unsplash.

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Mr. Marelich’s Vault

Before entering this course; I felt that I had a relatively decent grasp on the different forms of technology that may come up in the classroom. However, by the end I have learned so much about different facets of technology that I can safely say that I’ve been proven wrong. A classroom has far more possibilities to have technology integrated into it than a simple Power Point or YouTube Video, and my Portfolio is evidence of this.

Word Press; A New Way to Present Information

The Roller Coaster that was my Journey to Teaching
Being introduced to Word Press was an interesting start to the class. Setting us up with the tools we needed to present with others about what we covered, and how much we have learned. I think that taking an active role in the creation of a living website was really interesting and hope to try to create something like it later in my life.
This being said, the post above was my introduction to WordPress, and the story of how I worked my way up to teaching throughout my life.

Animals of Africa: Book Creator

Animals of Africa Book
In this post, I have created a book using Book Creator. This book is a set of visual instructions for students in 2nd and/or 3rd grade in order to create a research project based on an animal of their choice that lives in Africa.

AI In the Classroom

“Artificial Intelligence in the Classroom: Bringing Minds Together, One Byte at a Time” -ChatGPT, the machine that chooses not to divide by 0.
This post was primarily on explorations in AI (especially ChatGPT) within which I used an assortment of AI models to create images, as well as help create lesson plans for a 2nd grade classroom. Having never thought to use AI in this way before, I thought it was fun being able to go through and get advice for lesson plans from the AI itself or just gather some ideas from it as well. I have since continued to use this AI as a way to come up with ideas in order to build off of when creating lessons or art with my students.

Featured Image Provided By: Image by Reimund Bertrams from Pixabay

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Teacher Diarra’s Technology Tools

Featured image by Stephan Kelle from Pixabay.

Over the course of ED 424: Technology in Education, I have used different technology tools to create a variety of posts that include possible activities for teachers to integrate into their own classrooms and posts that showcase myself in a creative outlet. I was exposed to many tools for the first time and though some were difficult to use, many I plan to incorporate in my own classroom with my students. Some of my favorite assignments were those that provided me with the opportunity to share something about myself in an individualized style, or those that enabled me to introduce learning content in a different manner than lecture and textbook teaching. Here, I have showcased some of those posts.

A Home on Zelzah Ave
Using Microsoft Sway, I wrote a poem and used accompanying images to illustrate where I am from – “A Home on Zelzah Ave.” Though I felt the technology was a little difficult to use, I enjoyed working with the prompt and am happy with my final product.
My Neighborhood & Me
I absolutely love this post of mine! The intention behind it was to create an assignment that helped Kindergarteners develop an understanding of their neighborhoods and be given the opportunity to map out some of their favorite places within it. This activity helps students learn about direction, distance, and their own home addresses.
Shape Scavenger Hunt Relay
Although not an activity I developed on my own, this post highlights some of the (dis)advantages and abilities of AI and how teachers might consider utilizing it in their classrooms.
Alphabet Books
I greatly enjoyed using Book Creator and plan to use it in my own classroom. I think being able to create a library that students and families can contribute to AND use as a resource is incredibly beneficial to all parties. In my post, I created “All about A” to provide young learners with the basics of the letter A. In reading this book, students will learn the vowel’s short and long sounds, how to write A’s upper and lowercase form, and identify some words that begin with “A”.
Flowers and Animals Oh My!
I highlight this post not because I necessarily favored the technology tool, but because I enjoyed engaging with the Google Forms I created and think others might also.
Let’s Learn About Ziplet
This post was developed in collaboration with a peer. Here, we highlight a technology tool, Ziplet, that allows teachers to integrate digital exit tickets, check-ins, assessments, and more with their students in a private and anonymous fashion. Ziplet is free to use, does not require students to create an account, and is a great way to build teacher-student relationships within the classroom.
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Flowers and Animals Oh My!

Featured image by Dim Hou from Pixabay.

Help the Flower to Grow (Google Form – quiz format)

Image by Pexels from Pixabay.

Animal Adventures (Google Form – choose your own

Image by Ralf Siebeck from Pixabay.

After creating both a quiz and an adventure-style Google Form, I think I would only use this technology in my classroom for adventures for a few reasons. First, I felt that creating the actual form was time-consuming and using the self-grading tool would be backstepping for teachers that want students to participate in whole class/small group self-corrections. Though I think using technology to administer assessments can be beneficial, especially for students with certain accommodations, I do not think Google Forms provides sufficient enough support to do so. However, I do appreciate the ability to add images and videos and the ability to alter the order of questions students see. I preferred creating an adventure-styled Google Form and can see myself using it in the classroom for fun “get to know me’s” and an opportunity for students to explore learning material in a different setting.

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Alphabet Books

Featured image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.

The intent of my book is to serve as a teacher’s example of what Kindergarten students will create for a letter/vowel of their choosing. This assignment would benefit students after the entire alphabet has been taught and learned. Rather than serving as an assessment of students’ knowledge, this project would be a creative and collaborative way of incorporating learning material with computer skills.

Having students choose any letter/vowel from the alphabet and creating a book demonstrates alphabet knowledge, technology skills, and can serve as learning material for future students. Book pages and content can be adjusted to accurately represent student ability. This project can also be completed in collaboration with technology teachers, peers, or older students practicing their own teaching skills with the younger grades.

After all books have been completed, the teacher can share the library with current families as well as incoming families so that they may use the books to practice alphabet knowledge at home.

I really enjoyed using Book Creator and can most definitely see myself using this technology in my classroom. I think using the tool to develop projects that are creative, individual, and connected to content material is easy, especially considering that all the finished books can be compiled into a library for students and families to continuously go back to. Book Creator is simple to use, harbors multiple features to customize your own book, and when used in younger grades, can be used in collaboration with older peers or in technology classes.

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Almost There

On WordPress, you will find all of the work that I have posted over the course of one semester in edTech. Here are some of the posts that I would like to highlight for you.

Teaching with AI
In this post, we dove into AI learning. We explored the possibilities of AI in the classroom and how it could be a tool for new teachers in the classroom with lesson planning.
Glad you came to your Senses
In this post, I created a lesson where students would be able to learn about their senses using pictures to help them understand what they are
Living that Student Teaching Life
In this post, I have highlighted some of the many features of WordPress using gifs, embeds, and images to help readers visualize my experiences.

Throughout this semester, I have learned so much about using WordPress. It has changed the way I will be viewing technology in the classroom. It has so many possibilities for what we can do as educators. I look forwards to using the technology and skills I have learned from this class in my classrooms.

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Reflecting on a Decade of Teaching

April 26, 2033

Dear former me,

It seems like only yesterday, I was at UP. It was the spring term, 2023. SO much has happened since then. It is hard to believe that a decade has passed since I started my journey as a teacher. As I write to you now, I am filled with a range of emotions - a sense of accomplishment, pride, and gratitude. The past ten years have been an incredible rollercoaster ride filled with challenges, but I have learned to love the job more with each passing year.

There have been days when I felt like giving up, and the challenges of teaching seemed overwhelming. But it was the love for my students and the impact I was making in their lives that kept me going. Seeing the light bulb moments, the spark of curiosity, and the joy on their faces when they understood a concept made it all worth it.

As I reflect on the past ten years, I realize that teaching is not just a job; it is a calling. It requires patience, empathy, creativity, and a deep sense of purpose. It is not for the faint of heart, but the rewards are immeasurable.

I have had the privilege of working with some incredible students, colleagues, and administrators. They have challenged me, inspired me, and made me a better teacher. I am grateful for the experiences and the lessons learned.

As I look ahead to the next ten years, I am excited about the possibilities. There will be more challenges, but I am ready for them. I will continue to grow, learn, and evolve as a teacher. Most importantly, I will continue to love the job and the impact it has on the lives of my students.

Enjoy the next ten years! It goes by faster than you would think!

Featured Image: Image by Petra from Pixabay

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My Ed in Tech Journey

Image from Gino Crescoli on Pixabay

Perhaps my favorite resource to work with this semester was Book Creator. I used Book Creator to create a book for a K-2 class on the Solar System. I loved how creative you can get with this resource in addition to the themes and backgrounds provided to give someone more structure. The features are more simplistic and rigid. I found it difficult to find out to increase and decrease the size of the font. However, it was free to use and is very good for starting to create your own books for your classroom! Teachers can create their own libraries and is amazing for student content-based projects instead of tests.

The Solar System

After being paired with a partner, we created a Google Sites website focusing on simple and engaging K-2 science activities about the weather. Some of the activities used are on heat and storms. The goal for the website is to provide activities for lessons and/or units on the weather. Science is fun and allowing students to participate in a hands-on activity makes the learning experience enriching for everyone. Google Sites was tricky to work with at first, but eventually became easy to use. My favorite part was the many options available with how you can structure the website.

What’s the Weather Like?

I used Google Forms to create 2 different quizzes. The first was a fraction quiz for 4th-5th grade students working on adding and subtracting fractions. The second was a “Buzzfeed” style self-guided quiz that allows people to choose between options. This quiz in particular was about the amazing wonders of the state of Oregon that fits best with what one picks along the way. This form was far more difficult to make since I had to pay close attention to the additions and where they were placed. I loved the variety Google Forms had. You can require certain questions, allow it to be anonymous, and make it as simple or detailed as you would like. Google Forms can be used in any context, not just education.

Fraction Quiz and Oregon Adventure

After looking at all my posts, I’m most proud of how I’ve become more familiar with these websites, especially Google Forms. I started off the semester struggling with how to work with Sway and ended up creating some amazing books, websites, and Google Forms. I will absolutely be using Google Forms and other common technology resources like Google Sildes and Jamboard with my future students. Who knows what AI will be next year, let alone in the next 5 years. Will plagiarism rates drastically increase? Will teachers know how to detect AI that a student may have used? Who knows! What we do know is that technology is ever changing and there are many resources teachers can use to make their days easier.

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My Portfolio

Image by Dung Tran from Pixabay

The following posts are a few of my favorite that I have made. They would all be great lessons for the beginning of the school year to create a warm and welcoming classroom.

First Day Feelings Book
This is a fun lesson for the first day of school to make students feel seen and know they are safe and welcome in their new classroom!
Big Feelings Google Sites
This is a google site lesson surrounding big feelings and could be used as an introduction into social emotional learning.
Kindness Lesson – created by ChatGPT
This is a great lesson to use when students might be having conflicts and need a boost of kindness in their classroom!
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Technology for Your Classroom

By Ashley Eala, Chandler Marelich, and Justin Matsuura

This is a professional development lesson for educators to learn how to use Book Creator and Google Slides to assess students’ research on a specific topic within a teacher-decided field.

edTech-Methods-PD-PresentationDownload

The main goal of this presentation is to give educators a range of assessment tools they can use with upper elementary to middle school students. Educators will learn how they can use two different online platforms as a way for students to present their learning and use various online research tools. These assessment tools will show educators how well students can gather information and sum up their findings into an organized presentation.

To help educators gain a better understanding of how to use Book Creator and Google Slides as an assessment, we created instructional examples for students using each online platform. The Book Creator assessment is an example of how 3rd graders can make a presentation on animals in Africa, and the Google Slides assessment is an example of how 5th graders can make a presentation on countries in Africa.

Google Slides: Countries in Africa Research Project

Book Creator and Google Slides are great tools for educators to use in their classroom. Students can share their work with educators, and students have the ability to express their creativity using these different formats for their presentation and built-in search tools for images. The research tools available to students to find information for their presentation, such as Kiddle and World Factbook, give students the ability to have more accessible and specific information for their topic.

Exit Ticket for Presentation Here

Citations:

Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash