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 Power in the Classroom: Digital Storytelling Digital storytelling has become an appealing and innovative method for educators to bring lessons to life. It merges traditional storytelling with digital tools such as images, video, audio, and music to craft compelling narratives. The purpose of digital storytelling goes beyond entertainment, it allows students to develop skills in communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity, often referred to as the 4Cs of 21st-century learning. It gives students a platform to express their voice and perspective, building both technical skills and emotional intelligence. In my previous teaching context, which includes high school students in a traditional school environment, I believe digital storytelling is not only appropriate but necessary. Many of my students are digital natives—they are growing up surrounded by multimedia content and are naturally drawn to visual and interactive formats. By incorporating digital storytell...

The Trials and Triumphs of Collaborative Learning with Online Tools   Collaborative learning is a powerful method that many high school teachers aspire to integrate into their classrooms. There’s an undeniable magnetism in announcing a new approach, armed with Google tools and optimism. However, the real test begins when theory meets practice. I learned this lesson vividly through my experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, when classrooms went virtual and educators everywhere were thrown into the deep end of digital instruction. Before the pandemic, group projects in my class were bustling with energy. Students thrived on face-to-face collaboration—discussing, debating, and creating together. The benefits were undeniable: improved communication, peer learning, and stronger critical thinking skills. But group work wasn’t without its frustrations—dominant voices would sometimes overshadow quieter ones, and dividing responsibilities evenly was often a challenge. The move to online l...

 Google Docs for Collaborative Learning At my present work location, I have not been using Google Docs as effectively or as frequently in my classroom as I now realize I could. While I was familiar with the tool at a basic level, I hadn’t fully explored its potential for enhancing collaborative learning among students. Watching one of the assigned videos really opened my eyes to its wide range of features and practical classroom applications. The video helped me develop a much greater respect for Google Docs—not just as a writing tool, but as a powerful platform for fostering student engagement, peer interaction, and collective problem-solving. It’s clear that when used thoughtfully, Google Docs can support deeper learning and help students build essential digital communication skills. I feel inspired to incorporate it more intentionally in my lesson planning. Going forward, I plan to use Google Docs when assigning group projects, peer reviews, and collaborative writing tasks. ...

  Navigating the Digital Shift - My Reflections on Chromebooks and Student Device Use   As education continues to evolve in the digital age, the presence of technology in the classroom has become more of a necessity than a luxury. Among the options available, Chromebooks have emerged as a popular choice in many schools. After exploring some arguments for and against their use, I’ve been reflecting on how Chromebooks and student devices fit into my own teaching context. One of the clearest advantages of Chromebooks is their affordability and ease of use. For our schools working with extremely limited budgets, Chromebooks provide an accessible entry point into one device to one student learning. The quick startup times, long battery life, and integration with cloud-based platforms like Google Workspace make them especially efficient for classroom use. When students have individual access to devices like Chromebooks, they are better able to engage with interactive lessons, ...

  Exploration and Report on Educational Technology Tools   For this exercise, I explored three different types of educational technology tools: a bookmarking service (Feedly), an educational podcast (TeacherCast), and online tutorials on using Google tools. Each offered different perceptions on digital learning and how technology can support teachers and students. 1. Feedly: Discovering “The Clever Sheep” I created a Feedly account. I found this to be a very intuitive platform for educators who want to keep up with education-related blogs and news. The blog focuses on 21st-century teaching, educational leadership, and digital storytelling—offering practical ideas for integrating technology creatively. What I appreciated most was Feedly’s organization. I could group related blogs into collections and tag them for future reference. This would be an excellent tool for professional development or even as a recommendation to students conducting research. Feedly is a tim...

  SAMR in Action: Reflections from a Business Ethics Classroom   Before I became familiar with Puentedura’s SAMR model, I didn’t realize I was already navigating through its layers in my teaching practice. As a high school General Business teacher, I’ve seen how the integration of technology can vary dramatically depending on the group of students I’m working with. Some years, students rise through the SAMR levels with energy and creativity. Other years, simply reaching the basic "Substitution" stage feels like climbing a huge mountain. In one unit on Business Ethics, I’ve tried to make the topic more engaging and relevant by assigning a video presentation project. Through the years, I’ve observed this single assignment take on different forms, each reflecting a different level of the SAMR model.   Substitution Students create a basic video where they read from a script that essentially mirrors the textbook content, using a smartphone camera or a simple editing app. There...

  Implement Task: Enhancing 21st Century Learning and Innovation Skills 1. Choice and Rationale The skill I have chosen to focus on is the set of Learning and Innovation Skills, often grouped under the 4 Cs: Creativity, Critical Thinking, Communication, and Collaboration. These are essential for preparing students for the demands of 21st-century life and work. These skills enable students not only to adapt to change but also to be active contributors to innovation and problem-solving in a rapidly evolving global landscape. Despite their importance, these skills have often been underdeveloped in traditional school systems. This is primarily due to a historical overemphasis on content knowledge and standardized testing, which leaves limited space for open-ended exploration, interdisciplinary learning, and student-driven inquiry. Additionally, there is sometimes a lack of professional development for teachers on how to effectively teach and assess these skills. 2. Lesson Plan ...

 Jay Mathews’s description of 21st-century skills as “The Latest Doomed Pedagogical Fad” is certainly provocative, but it reflects a tension that many educators feel when new educational trends emerge. His skepticism is rooted in the observation that, while the push for 21st-century skills, like creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking, all may sound promising, the practical guidance for teachers is often lacking, especially when many students are still struggling with foundational “19th-century” skills such as reading, writing, and math. Mathews argues that these new buzzwords don’t always translate into clear, actionable strategies for the classroom, and he questions whether schools are equipped to teach these skills effectively when basic traditional competencies remain a challenge for so many students. However, this critique may miss a crucial point about the evolving role of education. As technology transforms how we access and share information, students are already...

  Mr. Winkle Wakes is a short, thought-provoking video about a man who wakes up after 100 years. As he explores the modern world, he is shocked by the dramatic changes. But when he walks into a classroom, he finds comfort in its familiarity. Surprisingly, education seems untouched by the technological revolution.  Why has education changed so little?  On the other hand, many teachers are effectively using technology in their classrooms to enhance learning. In one class I visited, the teacher used Kahoot not only as a learning tool but also as a strategy for classroom management. When students were not behaving or staying on task, the teacher would start a Kahoot quiz to check their understanding and refocus their attention. This approach quickly engaged the students, significantly reducing noise levels and unnecessary talking. Embedding a YouTube video into a webpage is convenient because it saves time and helps maintain continuity in the user experience.

  Although I am a digital immigrant, I have often found myself more comfortable with digital tools than many of my peers. This doesn’t necessarily mean I am tech-savvy by today’s standards, but I have developed a practical familiarity with technology, one that I believe is rooted in a willingness to learn from the very people I teach. In the article "Can Digital Immigrants (Educators) Teach Digital Natives (Students)?" an interesting and practical approach is proposed: if educators are not confident with technology, they should allow students, who are digital natives, to teach them how to use it. This creates a collaborative learning environment, and both student and teacher grow through the experience. I found this method particularly effective during one of my own teaching experiences. Several years ago, I was teaching an Economics class at a high school. Many of the students were not particularly interested in the subject. Economics was a required course, and it often ...

  After watching the short video Mr. Winkle Wakes, I found myself reflective and amused. The story, while simple on the surface, speaks a lot about our education system's state in a rapidly evolving world. Mr. Winkle, having woken from a hundred-year slumber, is overwhelmed by the changes in society, technology, workplaces, and advanced healthcare systems. But when he steps into a classroom, he finds comfort in its familiarity. The chalkboard, the desks, the quiet rows of students—unchanged from what he remembers. That scene is both funny and yet thought-provoking. It reveals how the classroom has remained surprisingly static despite massive transformations across every aspect of life. What struck me most was how this narrative intersects with the core principles of learning. In the end, no matter how far we've come in terms of tools and technology, the learning process still starts at the beginning, just like it always has. A child must learn the alphabet before they can read,...