Ms. McBride Gets TECHnical

Digital Privacy Image Source: digitaltrends.com Privacy is an important topic to look at as the internet and social media continue to become ever prominent pieces in our daily lives. Not only for us as adults, but for our students as well. I think that growing up with the evolution of the internet and all these social media platforms, has allowed me to make my own choices about what I should and should not put out there for others to see. When I think about it from my student's perspective, they are not educated enough to make these decisions because they are being pressured by peers and the media to engage on these platforms. I did not feel this pressure when I was growing up because not much of this was around.  Even as an adult, I try to keep a low profile on the internet. I never want to put too much of myself out there for others and my employer to see. However, I know more of me is seen not just by what I put out there for people, but by what I am searching and engaging with ...

Exploring Professional Learning Networks Professional Learning Networks, PLNs, are a great resource for educators! I was first introduced to them during a previous course I took at Dominican University.  PLNs allow us to connect, engage, and learn from other educators not only in the United States, but from all over the world. Since joining Twitter , and participating in an #TwitterChat, I have been able to communicate with many other teachers.  For me, PLNs affect me both socially and cognitively. They have h elped me to reflect on my classroom teaching as well as gain a few new resources along the way.   I love that I can learn from other educators by seeing what they are doing in their classrooms!  Image Source: teacherthought.com Trying Something New Like I said before, I have already been using Twitter as one of my professional learning networks, but I felt like I was ready to try sometime new. One of the social media platforms I use on a daily basis is Facebook...

Introduction About Me: Hello! My name is Katie McBride and I am an 8th grade special education teacher at Mannheim Middle School in Melrose Park. This is my 7th year at Mannheim, but 10th year in teaching all together. Prior to the school I am at now, I taught at a charter high school on the Northwest side of Chicago. This school year, I am co-teaching 8th grade math as well as teaching a section of it to a small group of students in our self-contained program. Math is definitely my favorite subject to teach because there is always a right answer! In 2010, I graduated from Illinois State University with my degree focusing in Special Education teaching. I went back to school at Dominican University in 2021 to pursue my ESL endorsement. After, receiving my ESL endorsement, I decided to continue on to earn Master's of Arts in Education. This is the last course I need to complete my degree. I am so excited to graduate in May!  Social Media: When it comes to social media, I am some...

Final Reflection Blog Image Source: istockphoto.com I really enjoyed the opportunity to take this course over the past eight weeks. Going into it, I was aware of STEM and STEAM, but I was not confident on how they could mesh together to create a well rounded activity for my students. I now am able to see the benefits of creating STEAM activities for my students that are driven by an engaging problem solving scenario and thoughtful transdisciplinary activities. I look forward to working with my 8th grade team to try and implement a STEAM unit for the future. In your opinion, what is the most difficult aspect of incorporating technology into a STEAM classroom?  Why is that particular aspect so difficult to overcome? I believe that the most difficult aspect of incorporating technology into a STEAM classroom is accessibility. This is because not all schools have the luxury of having a technology specialist who is able to support STEAM teachers. Another reason would be that some schools...