Tool #7

This tool definitely took me the most time to complete, not because it was difficult to use Photo Story, but because I had such a hard time narrowing down which pictures to use! I can't wait to use this in the classroom in all content areas. I am thinking it would be a great way to document stages in life cycles, steps of the scientific method, steps of a math problem solving strategy, creative writing narrated with photos, the list just goes on and on. The kids will definitely love it!

After 11 Tools: Reflection

Wow! Am I finally done?!? I have to admit that along the course of this arduous, time-consuming process, I have learned so many new things that I am excited to use in my classroom. The first hurdle was just the creating of this blog itself, but I enjoyed being able to comment on the tools I was learning about, reading others' posts and comments about the tools, and adding my own personal touches throughout the entire process.

Some of my favorite tools are Google Docs, Delicious (social bookmarking), Digital Storytelling, and Skypel. The tool I want to use right away is Google Docs for students to use while writing, editing, and revising compositions throughout the writing process. I also would love to start using Skype by pairing up with a teacher from another Spring Branch school to connect our classes digitally.

I have transformed my thinking by realizing not to ever to become complacent and satisified with the technology I am already familiar with using in the classroom. There is so much out there just waiting to be used and there will always be new things added and changed to improve the students learning. It is so easy to get comfortable with what you know and limit yourself from learning about new tools. I think the smaller our world gets because of the internet connecting everyone from everywhere, we will be amazed at what we can do by collaborating with others and exploring new ideas.

I think the biggest unexpected outcome is how humbled I was to learn that there are so many things that I am not familiar with and had to learn! I consider myself fairly savvy when it comes to technology, but there are so many programs that were new to me and that I enjoyed learning how to use! It was difficult to fully concentrate and devote every ounce of attention I had to this project with a 3-year-old running around me, but I loved that I could work on this all at my own pace at any time of day (or night!) :)

Tool #11

I think the more and more we begin to integrate technology into our classrooms, the more we virtually open our classrooms to everything (good and bad) that is out there. So I think that it is our job as teachers to help arm the students against anything out there that may harm them. Also I think it's important to teach them how to be good digital citizens. They also need to be aware of what plagiarism is and how it applies to online sources.

I think the videos and activities on BrainPop are wonderful sources to show the students in order to open up discussion and teach digital citizenship. The sections that stood out to me were the ones on Cyberbullying, Digital Etiquette, Information Privacy, Social Networking, and Online Sources. I think these would be great ways to start the year before ever using any of the technology tools offered.

Tool #10

This summer I went to one of the iTouch trainings and was blown away by the amount of free educational apps available to download. I have already begun downloading some so as soon as I get my iTouches I can sync them and they'll be ready to go! Some of the apps I downloaded and look forward to using are Arithmetick Math Flash Cards, Dictionary.com, Ecosystems, LabTimer, MathTappers, OregonTrail, Shake and Spell, and Space Images.

As for using the device itself, I was happy to find that it was so easy and user friendly. I feel I had an advantage by already having an android phone, which is very similar in design and use. My wow moment was that there are so many educational apps. I have downloaded tons of just for fun, or "productivity" apps for my personal use on my phone, but hadn't ever thought about using any in the classroom!

I think the students could use the iTouch during centers, in pairs, to review an objective, during independent practice, and even when students finish work early.

Tool #9

I downloaded both Jing and Skype and think that they will both be wonderful additions to my classroom. I have already begun using Jing even in my personal life to copy parts of websites I want to send family and friends. I can see students using Jing to do research projects because it will allow them to copy information off websites without having to take the time to re-type or waste paper by printing everything off.

Skype is actually a program I was already familiar with from when when my husband was deployed to Iraq. We actually used Yahoo Messenger as our primary form of communication because he could reach me any time by sending a message from his computer to my cell phone. It included video and voice, just like Skype. Many other military families used Skype as a form of communication during deployments and I have only heard good things about it. I can see it being a fun way for students to broaden their horizons and communicate with other students from all over the world. I think it would be great to team up with other classrooms even throughout the district to do book studies, book clubs, pen pals, the possibilities are endless.

Tool #8

The first video I am sharing is about using arrays to solve multiplication problems. I found it on Teacher Tube. I have used videos in the past from UnitedStreaming to teach arrays, but will definitely add this one to my collection.

The second video is one I have used in the past from YouTube on Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition. The kids absolutely love it! It helped so much in teaching these science processes. Any time I use video in my lessons, I have the kids' attention immediately! They beg for more! Especially if the videos include humor like this one or those on BrainPop.

Using Arrays to Solve Multiplication Facts

Tool #6

Wikis are useful because they allow students to collaborate and share ideas in real time. Again, just like Google Docs, if one students writes something, another can see what his classmates are writing and add to it. I love having everything in one place for all the students to easily be able to access. I like the ideas on the Teachers First website to use wikis for online writer’s workshop with suggested revisions from classmates. Students can post their drafts and collaborate with other classmates to edit and revise. I think wikis encourage student-centered learning. It allows students to build web pages, embed images & video, and post documents.

Tool #5

I joined both Delicious and Diigo. I also added the add-on toolbar to my Firefox browser. This way I can easily tag and bookmark sites I visit to access later and share with others. I really like that I can save my favorite websites and then find them from any computer I use. I don't have to email myself links or forward links to colleagues and friends if I want to share.

The two sites I found on Delicious are:

http://www.catawba.k12.nc.us/c_i_resources/Foldables.htm

and

http://www.readwritethink.org/

The first link is a site from Catawba County Schools that has pictures and ideas for all different kinds of Foldables. I think it will give me lots of inspiration for ways I can have my students display information learned in all subject areas.

The second link is a website that I am just beginning to explore. It just has so much on it, but I liked it because it has language arts lessons, interactives, calendar activities that you can filter by grade level, learning objective, or theme.

Tool #4

Google Docs is a wonderful tool to use when collaborating with colleagues and friends. I love that I won't have to save a document, attach it, send it, wait for a response, receive it as an attachment back, re-save it, and so on and so on! This simplifies things so much and at the same time gives every person who I share with instant updates. I can see using this to share lesson plans, roadmaps, flipcharts, and any other file. This would have been a dream come true last year when doing the RGE Newspaper!! The students could have all used google docs to save their articles for me to edit without me having to have them send them to me as an attachment or worse, saving each file off of each of their computers onto my thumb drive (yes, I really did that!)

Google Reader is a great way to have every blog that I follow in one place that gives me their updates all at once. It reminds me of facebook's home page where you can see each of your friends' status updates all at once. I think this would be great for students to use to follow various educational blogs, or even a way for teachers to collaborate and have their classes reading each others' blogs.

Tool #3

This tool was so fun! I had to finally stop myself from creating images and adding more gadgets to my blog! I hope that my enjoyment of these tools is contagious and my students can enjoy this all as much as I have. I think any time you add a personal element by allowing them to use pictures of themselves or their friends and family, then you have their interest. Also, I think it would be great to use these different sites to allow them to create a project about something they are learning in the classroom. For example, I am thinking that in science they could take pictures of weathering and erosion around the playground/school and then create a mosaic of the pictures. Another thing is that they could use Wordle to create a brainstorm of different nouns or verbs or adjectives as a prewriting activity. The sky's the limit for how creative they can be!

Tool #2

1. What are your thoughts about building an online education community and participating in a PLN? I love the thought of building an online education community. I just worry that some people may be left behind that are either confused or stuck at certain points in this process. Once everyone is on the same page and familiar with everything (with all the kinks worked out!), I think this could be a valuable experience and way to share ideas.

2. What point stood out to you from the commenting advice? I am so guilty of being a "lurker"!!! I have often been a reader and taker of information on blogs and online communities, but have rarely left any feedback or posted my questions. I agree that often I am just lazy and when a site requires that you create an account just to leave a comment, I say forget it! Now that I have this account with blogger and my own blog I think I will be more inclined to leave comments on other blogger accounts. I like the point about asking questions in my own posts to invite comments from others. I also like the advice to interact with the comments left. I know I always like when I read blogs and I see that the blogger answers questions left by those posting comments. I think if readers see that the author is answering questions and interacting with his or her readers, then people are more inclined to comment.

3. What five blogs did you select for your comments? (you may need to come back and add this information later by editing this post.) Sylvia Alaniz, Marie Casamayor, Nancy Jackson, Maureen Martinez, Doreen Ryan

Tool #1

I just created my blog! I think I'll play around with the colors later. I really like being able to learn as I go by doing things on my own at my own pace. Last summer I took a course on blogging in the classroom during Teacher U and regret to say I never fully used it on a regular basis in my classes. I think this is the push I need to fully integrate a classroom blog.

It was fun to create my Voki, too! I know it's something my students will really enjoy doing.