End of Semester Reflection

This semester I have learned a lot not only about technology, but how to use it as a teacher, how children of today learn, and I have also changed my view on technology in the classroom if ever so slightly.

First of all, as a teacher I want to be able to use technology in order to make my life easier, more organized and efficient. Secondly, I want to use it to be a better teacher, to be on the same level as my students and to help inspire them to take advantage of the resources out there in order to become more successful.

At the beginning of the semester, I felt a little overwhelmed at the amount of stuff that is out there! I mean, I couldn't possibly figure it all out and know exactly what I need for which aspect of my life. But then, I realized that I don't need to know it all. If I find something I like and that would be useful to me, then I'll use it until something better comes along (and it probably will). I need to be open to change as far as technology goes because it is ever changing.

Children today are becoming more and more adept at learning technology and the rest of us are struggling just to keep up. They say that children pick up new languages easier than adults do and I think the same goes for learning technology. It's more natural for some than others. Children today have a much shorter attention span which can be attributed to technology and the instant gratification it brings. ADD is on the rise and a lot of that is because we are creating a world where being still and quiet and not having something fed to us continually is not an option. You have to actively seek quiet time; schedule it in. This is the world we will be teaching in. We could try to change it because we don't agree with it, but the more likely thing that will have to happen is to adapt to it and do the best we can for our students.

I think that this class has taught me that though I am not completely gung ho for anything and everything digital, I can balance technology in my teaching and help my students to understand the importance of it in their lives and also to help them familiarize themselves with some of the awesome things that are out there. I really don't know what I'll do without a SMARTBoard! I'll have to go back to the time B.S.B (Before SmartBoard).

This is what I wrote in my NETS assignment at the beginning of the semester:

The NETS I am choosing to focus on this semester is #2: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S.

Teachers:
a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.

b. develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.

c. customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.

d. provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching.

Ways I will work on this this semester is,

1) through adapting my learning about teaching to include technology. I can already see this happening in other classes and getting ideas about how to do this or that with technology.

2) to think about how I can use technology to reach students with different learning styles and abilities. Technology can help teach to every multiple intelligence from musical to kinesthetic and I want to be able to possess the knowledge to do that.

3) familiarize myself with the wide span of technology available to me as a teacher. The more I learn about the options out there, the more I realize I don't know! The possibilities are endless, but the more I learn about what is out there, the more I can pick and choose what will be best for my teaching style.

First, I have definitely adapted my teaching style to include technology, mostly through use of the SMARTBoard. Just about all of my projects for other classes this semester involved the use of the SMARTBoard and as I said earlier, it would take a lot to adapt back to not using it.

Second, I think that I have accomplished the task of using technology to reach different learning styles of students. The beauty of the SMARTBoard is that it can incorporate every single muliple-intelligence and I have learned how to do that effectively.

The one thing I have done, but haven't quite mastered is using technology to provide formative and summative assessment. It's one of those things that I feel isn't super critical in the learning process. Formative assessment is the easier of the two to incorporate, but summative, not so much.

Overall, I feel that my students are going to have a good digital learning experience in my classroom. I think that I feel comfortable enough with classroom technology to be able to have a tech-friendly place to learn and grow. I'm excited to see what my students come up with in regards to technology and I'm also excited to see what I can teach them through it.

Reflection #12

What?

I just wanted to take the time to talk about some music listening websites that I have encountered: Pandora and Grooveshark. It's so great that someone out there figured out what I like to call the poor man's ipod. These sites have a mind of their own that strangely enough can access your brain and figure out what kind of music you like. Yes, you are tied down to listening only when you have internet connection, but I don't want to be one of the constipods out there who are continually connected to their music library anyway.

So What?

So, I'm poor and I want an ipod too, but I just can't bring myself to buy one. There are ways to get things for free and I'm satisfied with Grooveshark. I began by listening to Pandora, but after an intense month of studying (the times I listen most) I used up all 40 of my listening hours with about 10 days in the month to spare. So switch to Grooveshark I did! And I like it better. It allows you to listen to any song, anytime, over and over again unlike Pandora. It suggests music for you better than Pandora ever did.

Now What?

I think Pandora was the first website to come up with this concept (correct me if I'm wrong), but it just comes to show that technology just improves upon itself as time goes on. We are so quick to jump on whatever new stuff is out there, but if you just have a little patience and do some research, you can find something that you are just as happy with and you have a couple extra bucks in your pocket to spend on your garden gnome collection. Do I still want an ipod? You betcha, but maybe that'll have to wait until I'm a rich teacher. . .

Reflection #11

What?

I recently read this quote:

"Do not confine your children to your own learning, for they were born in another time." -Chinese Proverb

I know that sometimes I think that because I learned a certain way and it worked for me that it must be the best way to learn. I recognize in myself that sometimes I don't understand why someone can't learn something that came so easily to me.

So What?

When the time comes for me to start teaching children from a different generation and I can't figure out why they can't just get it, I need to think about this proverb. We are from different times and the world around us shapes us more than we know. Most likely, the children I teach will be digital natives; they will think differently and will have a bent towards technology.

Now What?

I have to make a conscious effort to get to know the kids I will be teaching - know what they are surrounded by day to day, how much of their time is spent with technology, how they can use technology as a creative outlet and even know how they respond to new information.

Reflection #10

What?

I just got a nanny job for the summer and I thought it would be cool to have the kids help me with a journal of our summer adventures. Since I am now familiar with the blogging process (thanks to Tech in Ed.!) I thought doing a blog would be the best way to go!

So What?

One of the kids I am nannying is 5 and will be going to kindergarten this fall. I think it would be a valuable experience for him to already know about blogs and communication through the internet as he enters school for the first time. He can help me pick out the layout and also dictate what he wants to say in the blog. This goes for his sister too who will be going into 2nd grade. I can have them each pick a font color and the girl's story will be in her color, the boy's in his. We can post pictures and videos of things we do and it will help the parents feel like they are not missing out on their children's activities. I know the father works a lot and this will be great for him to see.

Now What?

Well, now I just need to run it by their parents. I think that parents would be open to this because not only is it great for the kids, but they can share their adventures with other family members and friends and it is also a great way to look back over the years on their favorite summer with their nanny, Bethany! It will be a good creative outlet for the kids and a good rainy day activity.

Assignment #4

The project I am doing is centered around an ongoing class project throughout the year called Geobears. We will send out teddy bears with travelers and instruct them to pass them on to others. As information comes back, we will track the geobears and learn about other countries and cultures. The technologies I decided to use in my project are a class blog, the SMART Board and Google Earth. I am actually planning on doing this project when I am a teacher and am very excited about it!

The features in the technology I will be using are:

Google Earth: This program is fairly easy to use, but there were a few things I had to familiarize myself with and I'm still not very proficient at it.

• different features on the map (roads, places of interest, street view)


• record a tour - allows you to show "flight" from one place to another and record it


• zoom - in and out


• adding placemark - shows where the school is, marks where Geobear has been to
  

SMART Board: The SMART Board will be used as a base to store all our information about the Geobears. There will be a link to our blog, a link to Google Earth and also maps for each bear and their journey as we track it. The class can also look up information on the internet about the places Geobear travels.

I have learned so much about the SMART Board. One of the most helpful things I have learned is how to make a link to a website, but also how to paperclip things to the presentation. I was able to paperclip Google Earth to it so that I don't have to exit out of the presentation to get to it. This would be incredibly helpful and time saving.

Another thing I learned was how to group objects together. Sometimes I would have several objects together, but would have to move them to another page or place on the page. It was extremely painstaking to have to move each individual object and get them back in line. So what you do is hold down ctrl, select all objects you want together and then hit g to group them all together to make one object. It's very easy to ungroup them as well. Other features I will use are:

• links


• paperclip


• gallery


• toolbar
• object transparency
• grouping tool
• lock/unlock objects

Issues:

Some issues I encountered with this project were that I wasn't sure if I should do a website or a blog for the project. I actually made a whole website for it and decided to just make it simple and do a blog instead. The issues with the website were that I didn't know if I should have a special website for the project in addition to the classroom site or just combine them. The nature of the project involves strangers from all over the world, so I didn't feel comfortable having all this information available to just anyone. The website was absolutely wonderful, but it was just too complicated for what I wanted to use it for. The blog just felt safer to me mostly because I'm familiar with it and can screen comments from people.

Another issue was finding a map that I could use on the SMARTBoard to track the geobears. Ideally, I would have liked there to be a globe that you can spin AND track travels on. I guess there's not an app for that. :( That inspired me to use Google Earth just to show students what the actual places are like (I LOVE Google Earth and could spend hours just exploring the world and would encourage my students to as well). On that program you can tag places with an icon of choice and you can also record a journey from tag to tag.

What this means to me:

This project is something that I have wanted to do with a classroom for a long time, so as a teacher it will mean a lot to me! I love geography, maps, globes, cultures and travel and want to inspire my students to as well. I think this is the perfect way for them to "see" the world! I will probably change the project to make it simpler or more complicated depending on what grade I end up teaching. A lot of it can be student created and led. All I have to do is be the administrator of the blog and I can let the students do the rest!

NETS for Teachers:

1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity - As a teacher, I will be using my knowledge of geography to facilitate learning by the use of technology. I will be encouraging student creativity by having them write blogs and control the smartboard and Google Earth. I will be promoting student reflection by getting them to think about the places we are learning about and through researching places that Geobear is traveling to.

2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments - As a teacher, I will use technology to help develop knowledge and skills by deeply incorporating several types of technology into the project. These technologies can be used as a class or individually by the student. They can be used in direct instruction by the teacher or by exploration by the student. The project will be very personalized as students name their bears and make presentations involving them and track them.

3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning - I will be modeling technology throughout the project, demonstrating it to students so that they can learn to use it themselves. I will collaborate with students and parents for new ideas in how to best use the technology.

NETS for Students:

1. Creativity and Innovation - Students will use technology to show innovation in learning and applying what they are learning through Google Earth and SmartBoard presentations. Students can use the tracking of the geobears to show trends in travel. Students will think about and predict how the geobears will get back to the school on time.

2. Communication and Collaboration - Students will use technology to communicate ideas. The nature of the project is to develop global awareness and learn about other cultures through technology. Students will be able to show what they have learned in the project by presenting it to others.

3. Research and Information Fluency - Students will use research through digital tools gathering information from a variety of sources: Google Earth, the internet, maps, books, and videos.

Extra info about the project (in case you want to know!):

We will have 5 different geobears at the beginning of the year that we will outfit with backpacks that include a luggage tag with our school name and address, self-stamped and addressed postcards, a picture of our class, the blog URL and instructions for travelers. The bears will be sent with people we know who are traveling somewhere in the country or world. That traveler will pass the bear onto another traveler they meet and each traveler will send back a postcard or log onto the blog to leave us a message/ photos, etc. As the class gets information back, they log it and map out where the Geobear is on the SMARTBoard.

As we get information back about the travelers, we will get onto Google Earth to see where they are in the world. This program is amazing and we can "fly" from our classroom to where Geobear is at the click of a button! At the end of the year we can record the Geobears' trip on Google Earth to show the sequence of travel they have done. I would love to just do one bear since there will be so much more work with 5, but the reality is that many bears never return or don't send back any postcards, so we will track all 5.

Ideally, there will be lots of communication between the travelers and the class - the more, the better - so that we can learn as much as we can through this project. Hopefully, travelers will follow instructions and not steal the bears. There will be instructions to get the bears back by the end of the school year and hopefully this will happen as well!

Week #14 Entry

The Future of Technology and Education

Most of the information I learned talked about how classrooms in the future are going to be all but centered around technology.

One article I read was talking about a 5th grade classroom in which every student had a PDA that they would use in class everyday and this was in 2003! This article said that handheld devices would be very beneficial in the classroom and I can't help but think about how much more advanced they are these days with things like the iPads coming out. The article suggested using these devices for students who are bad spellers solely because they have bad handwriting. If they can use a computer their spelling would show to be much better because they have gotten over the handwriting obstacle.

A blog I read listed 30 trends that shape the e-learning environment - something that many are going towards to meet their educational requirements. Among the 30 trends were video (flip cameras, mobile devices), social learning (facebook, wikis), social sharing (dilicious, stumbleupon, diigo), and one that I thought was interesting: short attention spans.

Another blog talks about how Web 2.0 is the future of education. The author goes as far as to say it "will culturally, socially, intellectually, and politically have a greater impact than the advent of the printing press." At least I am aware of it and have used it now! I feel so much more with it. The author states that Web 2.0 is creating a publishing revolution that gives everyone the opportunity to publish something on the internet through blogs, wikis, and social networks. It helps to inspire creativity for students and makes it even more appealing because it involves technology.

From my research, I have found that the general outlook on technology in education is positive and that people want to use technology to make the learning experience more meaningful and creative.

Reflection #9

What? The new iPad Tablet. Could be awesome for schools. My teacher-roommate and I were discussing this the other day and how the iPad could revolutionize schools in the textbook/paperwork area.

So What? Imagine if all your textbooks were on your iPad. No more lugging books around, you still have the ability to highlight pages. If you could somehow just upload all the worksheets students need right onto their individual iPads, you wouldn't have to hand out papers or collect them. I don't even know if all these things are possible yet, but I think they COULD be! I also know it's a glorified laptop and only does 80% of what a laptop can, but the technology is there and hopefully it will just impove as time goes on.

Now What? The issue as always is cost, but it seems that once you buy them, you've got em. You wouldn't have to spend any more money on textbooks. Technology is always expensive when it first comes out and all the kinks haven't been smoothed out, but I say wait a couple years, give them suggestions for the education model and maybe one day we will see them in the classroom at every desk.

Week #13 Entry

Well, the laptop I have right now doesn't have Word, Excel or Powerpoint (lame, I know, but what do you expect for $40?) but I have used them all in the past.

I did use Word recently for an art project where I had to have a colorful border on it. I was surprised to find a lot of clip art borders that were really fun! One project I would use for students using Word is doing book reports. They can get creative with it and create a cover page with borders or clip art.

A project students could do with power point is to have them make a slide show for an oral presentation. You could have them include a balance of both text and pictures to get their point across. Students could take pictures of themselves and incorprate them into the presentation.

Excel I have only used at work, but I'm sure it has it's uses in the classroom as well. Students can use it for making charts to analyze data. They could put all the students names across the top and then down the sides have how many pets they have or how many people in their family, etc. The students could fill out the chart and compare and contrast the chart to find data such as the average number of people in each household, or how many people have dogs vs. cats, etc.

Week # 12 Entry

K-12 Online Conference
A Peek for a Week

This teacher from New Zealand takes you through a week in her classroom. She starts off by showing the class blog and the different links that are there. She also talks a little about the interactive whiteboard and that there is a homepage on that as well that has links to things the class uses often.

There is a sharing time when the students get in front of the class and share about an event or something they want to talk about. The teacher has them bring photos that she putts on the Smartboard during their presentation.

The class has a writing blog that allows the students to write without their writing being graded. It's very independant work and the pressure is taken off because they are allowed to just write freely without the pressure of doing it right. The teacher uses this as an opportunity to guide them, but does not grade it.

I thought it was interesting how they do fitness. They basically put up a video on the smartboard and the class dances to it.

This teacher does a good job of incorporating technology in her classroom. It seemed like a lot of it was student led and they were able to control it easily. There are 6 students who help other teachers learn about different technology. The one that was shown was the students teaching them how to make their own movie online. I thought it was great that these kids were given the opportunity to teach adults about technology.
It seemed like this teacher had a good balance of using technology in her classroom. She has the students look up the comments on her blog and then map out where those comments are coming from all over the world. I thought that was a great idea for getting students introduced to the world map.

Week #11 Entry

Blog
I read Kevin Jarret's blog on how education plays a role in legacy. I found it to be very inspiring and told him as much! There wasn't a whole lot to be learned, but it was more of an inspirational piece. I just liked how this guy was climbing the ladder in the corporate world and decided that he wanted his life to count for something and decided to become a teacher. I think that it's important for teachers to be thinking of their legacy and to be aiming for the goal of having a good one.

At one point in the blog, Jarret posted this quote, which I have heard before, but really like:

“On their deathbed, no one ever said, ‘I wish I had spent more time on my business.'."

Week #10 Entry

NU Educators Panel

Question #1 - What experiences have you had in classrooms that have shaped what kind of a teacher you have become?

Question #2 - How does the Education department stay up to date on new technology out there?

Question #3 - What advice do you have for the interview process when we start interviewing for teaching jobs?

Technology Project Plan

My plan is to incorporate technology into the GeoBear project. For more info on what that is, click here. Students will be helping to design a website for our class that features GeoBear. At the end of the project, students can write a blog entry about what they learned. I will also be incorporating the SmartBoard in this project so that students can interact with a world map on the SmartBoard. Here is my Vocaroo recording! Get excited people.

Reflection #8

What?
Videoing Kids in the Classroom - A blog entry. I was reading this blog on a question a teacher had a concern about video taping students in the classroom.

So What?
Needleman makes a good point of saying that anytime you use video in the classroom, it's probably a good idea to get consent from the parents first.

What Now?
I think we need to make sure we are covering our bases when we plan to use things like video in our classrooms. You will be pretty limited if you have even one parent that refuses to give consent to their child being recorded and you had this whole plan involving video. Maybe you could put that kid behind the camera or work on the editing, but it's something to think about.

Reflection #7

What? A blog entry called, Overload? that talks about how some school districts are overloading parents with too many online resources from grades to twitter to facebook pages.

So What? The blog states that the number of parents visiting these sites is going down the more of them are introduced. Parents are getting overloaded with everything that is out there that schools take advantage of. The author is not slamming these resources, but is drawing attention to the fact that educators need to choose one of them and stick with it. Because there is so much available these days, I think we get excited about the possibilities there are and just go hog wild when in reality, less is more!

What Now? Just because there are all these wonderful, free resources out there for educators doesn't mean that all the time and energy we put into them will be appreciated. Are the resources we are using really necessary? Can we get the information to people in a better way? What about the digital divide? I like using the latest and greatest things out there as much as the next person, but really, are parents really going to be on the school district twitter thread and constanly checking facbook for the latest news on whatever? I think not. So I think this blog makes a good point that there is an awful lot thrown at parents who probably don't really have the time or interest in the things school districts think they will.

Caught On Video

Caught On Video, by Bob Sprankle

This article had some really interesting points. I liked his ideas on recording the students at the beginning of the year to be played back at the end. I also liked the idea of filming their questions before a lesson/unit and then having them answer those questions after they have learned about it.

I feel like sending home video of students to be watched by parents might backfire on you if you're not too careful. It may be proof of learning, but it can also be proof of other things that the parents aren't too fond of. You would have to hone your editing skills ;)

I appreciated what Sprankle said about getting students to show what they are doing as opposed to how they are doing and using video to show that. I think it would also be a good tool for if you are working with one group and another group is working on their own. They could video tape themselves, which would add a level of accountability.

I definitely think that video is a great way for students to show creativity in their projects. I think a video journal is very effective and it also teaches children how to work as a team. I would love to use video in my classroom as long as it was very easy to use and didn't distract students from learning the content they need to learn. I think a weekly video of what we have learned in class might get parents attention more than a letter. I think it would also get parents to visit that website you spent so many hours on!

Assignment #3 Resources for Teachers

Diigo
I decided to use Diigo for my resource page. I really liked the way it was set up and all the options for it. You can tag the sites, you can highlight certain parts of the page you bookmark and you can also add a sticky note to it.

Diigo is organized by the date you bookmarked the site, but you can organize it any way you like. The sites I added are all things that I have come accross and thought would be good for future (or present) use. I can also belong to certain groups and networks and I could follow other people's diigos. You can do a search by tags to help you narrow down what you're looking for.

I thought it would be great for sharing with other teachers because you could write sitcky notes to each other and talk about specific parts of the site. The sticky note shows up under the listed title for the webpage, so you don't even have to click on it to read it. It would also be great to invlove all of the teachers from your school to form a group and be able to share resources.

Website Reviews

Smart Exchange - http://exchange.smarttech.com/
This is a site that everyone using a SmartBoard needs to know about. You can browse SmartBoard presentations by school subject and grade level and by keywords or phrases. I like it because it's very simple to use and is cleaner and more read-able than some of the other options the SmartBoard program provides. It also provides a preview before you actually downloand it, so if you just want to quickly check out what's out there for what you are teaching, it's a great tool.

Busy Teacher's Cafe - http://www.busyteacherscafe.com/
This was a cute site that is easily navigable (I'm obviously visually oriented) and has some good ideas for elementary teachers. It is still under construction, so some features aren't available, but I do like the idea. There is a place for themes that I thought was fun. Basically, there is a list of themes under headings by subject or month and then sub-headings, so if you want to do a day focused on fairy tales, there are ideas for how to incorporate fairy tales into each subject that day. Just a good place to start for ideas.

Learning Vocabulary Fun - http://www.vocabulary.co.il/
I have used this site a lot while doing lesson plans for my Visual Arts class. If you ever need a biography on a certain artist, but have to edit a lot of their life out, this site has kid-friendly bios that I found were helpful. There are also art projects that go with artists and ideas for anticipatory sets and so on. There is a lot here, so it's a great place to start if you don't have that artistic bent to come up with things yourself.

Begining of Semester Reflection

When I envisioned myself teaching, I never really included technology in my vision of how my classroom would look. In my elementary school, computers got maybe a half hour slot each week and you had to march down the hall to the computer room, so naturally it just doesn't automatically come to mind. But we are in a different era now where technology all but runs our lives.

I definitely think technology has it's place in the classroom, but I'm not sure just how much. I know that the goal is to get students engaged in learning, but I don't think that always means doing it with technology. We can't always depend on technology being the thing that gets our students "into it". There will be days when a glitch in the program or system will shut down your plans if they are completely dependant on technology. There needs to be a backup plan in place, which typically means even more preparation.

One of the reasons I think technology should have a major role in the classroom is because technology is not going away. Our students need to keep up with the latest developments so that once they become adults they will be ready for the jobs and the life that requires knowledge of such things.

As with everything in education, I think that I will have a balanced approach to technology. I hope that I don't become so dependant upon it that I just become the operator of technology and not a teacher.

Reflection #6

What?
An article on 5 reasons Why Educators Need to Embrace Technology. These 5 reasons are:
1. Professional Development
2. The Power to Engage
3. Students Use Them Already
4. It's Not Going Away (It Will Only Grow)
5. Bussinesses Want to Hire Workers Who Understand the Internet

So What?
Though I have heard all these reasons before, I just thought that this was a good concise article. I especially like #5 because our job as teachers is to get our children ready to become part of society. They will only be that much more prepared for future jobs if they have a good grasp on the technology out there.

What Now?
This article addressed the problem of teachers not having enough time to learn all of this new stuff that keeps popping up, but the author suggests not being an expert at it, but at least being familiar with it. Even if I just introduce something to a student, that student will be more able than I am to go and figure it out. I don't have to be the one to teach how to use it, but I can give the ideas and let the students run with it.

ActivBoard

Review of Promethean ActivBoard

This review listed the pros and cons of this particular brand of interactive whiteboards. This board requires a stylus in order to control it in contrast to the Smartboard that you can control with your fingertips. There are pre-made activities and lessons the teacher can use, much like the Smartboard. I found a picture of what the setup looks like and it seems to be more kid friendly and colorful than the smartboard brand.
One thing that seemed really cool to me about this brand is a slate that the students have at their desk that they can control the board from their seats with.

Some questions: Have you used different brands of whiteboards or just this one? If so, is this one better? What makes this system frustrating to you as a teacher? How long did it take to become familiar with this technology? How has this impacted your teaching? Have you found lessons that are helped more by the ActivBoard than others?

Reflection #5

What?
I observed a math class yesterday that used a document camera pretty much the whole time. The teacher was doing a math lesson correcting homework from the day before, then presented a new lesson. I have observed this particular class before during a language arts lesson and the teacher used the camera for that whole class period as well.

So What?
I have always had the highest opinions about document cameras and their effectiveness and hope to have one someday in my classroom. The only thing about this particular class was that the teacher never came out from behind it. It was front and center in the room and the teacher could see and be seen by all her students, but that personal touch just wasn't there. The table the camera was on was a constant barrier between her and the students.

What Now?
I am by no means judging this teacher as she was very good, but I would just need to keep in mind in my own classroom to come out from behind the curtain, so to speak. Teachers who keep a barrier between themselves and the students can sometimes not have that level of approachability they need or the effect that proximity can have on student behavior.

Reflection #4

The WIRED Classroom by Jamie McKenzie

What?
At first, I couldn't figure out the position the writer of this article was taking. I thought they were against technology in the classroom, but after reading a while I figured it out! He (she?) talks about how schools jumped on the wired classroom bandwagon without thinking through the effectiveness of it and thinking that it was going to be some kind of miracle cure for their classrooms.
McKenzie makes the point that even with all the latest technology in the classroom, it will do nothing for your students without a competent teacher.

So What?
McKenzie states that in order for technology to make an impact in the classroom, there needs to be enough computers available. The other thing is to have staff development in order to navigate the tools effectively.
Instead of school districts buying x number of computers, the funds should be used on slightly fewer computers and development of staff to maximize the use of the computers they do buy. Having 5000 computers is going to do nothing if only 30% of them are being used.

What now?
Hopefully I can be one of the "developed" staff that will be able to use technology in order to have an advantage in the classroom. According to the article, the placement of the computers in the classroom makes a big difference in whether or not they get used to their fullest potential. Limiting them to the back far corner of the classroom only to be used for fun once the real work is done will not be effective.
Having computers and other technology in my classroom will be a benefit to both me as the teacher and to the students as long as I use it correctly and smartly.

Week #7 Entry

King's Elementary School

I don't know that this is where I want to teach, but I have done a bit of observing here and know a few of the teachers and it seems like a good private school!

One feature of the site I liked was that it spells out very clearly what to expect for each grade. The curriculum is listed and there is a list of things the student should already know before entering that grade. For example, in Kindergarten, the student should be able to print their first name, recognize the letters of the alphabet, count to 20, communicate their needs, etc.

I loved the page for carpooling. It's an animated page that shows you exactly where to drive to pick up and drop off your kids. Fun and interactive, yet informative!

Something that was slightly confusing was how to get to the homepage for the elementary school. Kings is a k-12 school and unless you know exactly how to get to the page you want, it's a little difficult to find.

Another thing that was unclear was the "home" link to get you back to the homepage. It's very small and at the bottom of the page. If I hadn't purposefully looked for it, I wouldn't have found it.

One thing that is missing is a school map. It might be helpful for new students or parents to be able to look that up at home.

Reflection #3

What?
Using Technology for Current Events Lessons
Since my presentation on the SmartBoard, I have been thinking about incorporating the Olympics in lesson plans. It can be used in every single subject and is a great way to get students excited about learning. This website gives a lot of ideas for doing just that. Most of them use technology in the form of the internet for research, but also using SmartBoards. You can also use a lot of clips from past Olympics or find a way to watch it live in the classroom maybe as a reward at the end of a unit.

So What?
I think it's important to incorporate current events into learning. Anytime that has happened for me in the past, it makes it stick. That way, when you hear about it years later you can say, "Oh yeah, I remember when that happened! I was in grade and we learned all about it!" So obviously, this doesn't just have to be the Olympics, but at least you know when its coming and can plan things out beforehand, especially if it takes technology.

What Now?
Using this idea in my future classroom will be fun, not only for my students, but for me as well. Using the internet for research and for video clips will be invaluable for teaching current events. The Olympics is a great way to start because of the sheer variety you can include: weather at the site, geography, language, culture, and much more!

Reflection #2

What?
I've been thinking about the effectiveness of having a blog for college courses for writing assignments, sources for websites and as a way to communicate with your professor and fellow students. It puts everything in one place: future assignments, your past assignments, not to mention giving your notebook a break from a million papers.

So What?
So, I think more professors need to tap into this resource. It's free, it's (relatively) easy and it's eco-friendly. I like knowing that I can find everything pertaining to the class all in the same place. I also wish more professors would take advantage of Discovery. If you don't want to do a class blog, just utilize something that is already there! It helps eliminate miscommunication and is easy for the professor to keep everything in one place as well.

Now What?
I am hoping to take advantage of the technology available to me when I am a teacher. If possible, I will definitely have a class blog or website where students and parents can go to find information they want and also a way for me as the teacher to communicate with everyone at once. I won't have to worry that notes that were sent home have gotten lost along the way. Assignments could be posted online and also exceptional work that students have done could be put in an online gallery for all to see - pictures of artwork included!

Reflection #1

Integrating Technology Into the Classroom, by Melissa Kelly.



What?

Kelly talks about technology in the classroom and the main reasons for having it. She says the first and most important reason is for research. There aren't enough non-internet sources for children to use in schools especially when researching obscure topics.

The second reason is for creating websites. Kelly says this is a great way to integrate technology into the classroom. Kids get excited about it and it's great for posting students' work, such as essays and poems, novel critiques, forums, etc. to be shared with others. Kelly also posts a link to help you figure out how to create a website.

The third reason for technology in the classroom is for online assessment. Kelly advises that this be used by those with knowledge of the internet, but that it is good for helping the teacher to grade online (or have self graded tests).

So What?

Kelly makes a good point about the uses of technology in the classroom - mainly the internet. The convenience of it as opposed to using the library is a huge factor. You don't have to remove the entire class to another location wasting time getting everyone there, set up and then getting them back. If a students asks a question in class you don't know the answer to, you can look it up on the internet in a couple seconds or have the student look it up.

Kelly lists a number of legitimate concerns for having the internet in classrooms, but answers each of those concerns with a solution. One of those concerns that I would have to agree with is time. How do teachers get everything done they need to and still think about getting technology involved? Kelly's answer is to just have one project a year that the class works on. This can be creating a website or simply using the internet as a resource. I think she makes a good point. Just because there is pressure to integrate technology into the classroom does not mean that every aspect of your class needs to be integrated. Start out slow and choose one thing to work on.

What Now?

I would imagine that at least in western WA, most classes are linked to the internet. I may be wrong. If a school I was working at did not have that kind of technology, I would strongly suggest it, perhaps using some of Kelly's counter-arguments for some of the concerns. She even has a link to companies that provide grants for technology to schools who don't have the money for it.

It seems to me that schools would want to be up on the latest technology and internet is just the tip of the iceberg. If they aren't even equipped with that, we are doing our students a dis-service and inhibiting them from learning all that they can. Internet in the classroom is a great starting point and then perhaps ease them into maybe getting SmartBoards, video cameras and other technology.

Week 6 Entry

I was totally enamoured with the Smartboard when I first saw it, but after having more experience with it, I have found that it can be pretty complicated if you aren't familiar with it. I feel that the Smartboard should be used very deliberately because there may be other more efficient ways to teach something.

I learned a lot about the Smartboard by watching other people demonstrate. I learned that you should really be familiar with the activity you're using in order to maximize the class' time, otherwise you are wasting time by trying to figure out the program.

Some questions I have are more technical than anything else. I have had problems with the little tool tab coming out when I want it to. Sometimes it's not there at all.
Another one is about the fill tool. I can't get it to put a background color on the page. What comes up when I click on it is the page recording device. I just have a feeling that my program is flawed!

Overall, the Smartboard is an amazing piece of technology that when used with the correct motives and only as a supplement to your teaching can have a great effect on learning for students.

Assignment #2 - Smartboard Presentation

My Activity Make sure you have Flash downloaded and updated on your computer if you want to use this!
I thought this activity was really great if you want to teach geography, but also pull some current events into it. In light of the Olympics that are currently being held in Vancouver, I found this activity that applies to the geography of the Olympics, past, present and future (so it encorporates history as well). I've always been intrigued with the Olympics and this is a great way to get those students excited about learning and also a way to get those not previously interested in the Olympics to get excited about them as well!

Smartboard Features

• Interactive map activity (Hot Spot)
• Pen
• Pull-down Tab
• Matching Activity

Nets

for Students

• 1.d. identify trends and forecast possibilities.
• 2.a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.
• 6.a. understand and use technology systems.
• 6.b. select and use applications effectively and productively.

This activity meets standards because it helps students to visualize geography and use critical thinking for finding out why certain countries are able to host the Olympics and others are not. They do this while interacting with other students as they use technology to find the answers to geographic questions. The applications are used in an effective way to help solidify information.

for Teachers

• 1.b. engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources.
• 1.c. promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.
• 2.a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.

This activity definitely engages the students and discusses real world issues and events. It's a great way to pull in current events with geography. It incorporates digital tools to quiz the students and help visualize locations that are discussed.

The Interactive Whiteboard

The Interactive whiteboard is really an amazing tool for teachers once they master the ins-and-outs of manipulating it. Students will benefit from them because they are able to engage all of the multiple intelligences. You can have a huge variety of learners in one classroom and in one lesson can help each of them learn the same material in different ways. If I know that a few of my students are really struggling with learning something, I can use the Smartboard to taylor a lesson in a way that will help them learn (through music, visual, linguistic, etc.).

Even if a teacher uses a pre-made lesson, it is easy to change it to fit what you're trying to teach. You are never stuck with the original layout/lesson plan.

Week 5 Entry

Creating Lifelong Learners - Digital Literacy, Higher Level Thinking, Closing the Digital Divide by Matthew Needleman was a very enjoyable blog.

What?

• Like his subtitle suggests, this blog is about helping teachers become lifelong learners and being proactive about learning about technology and other things. Needleman has great ideas, reviews of new technology, rules about copyrights (that he explains in his self-made film) and writes in an easy to understand way that is engaging.



• Needleman's most recent entry was a great example of how teachers can asses what areas their students are struggling in and which areas the teacher needs to improve in. Basically, the students names are written on the lefthand side of the page and the subjects they learn go along the top. If a student is doing well in a particular subject, he/she gets a green dot, if not, a red one. You can gage if a teacher needs to re-think their teaching on a certain subject if many students have a red dot in that subject. I thought it was a very simple, yet clever way of assessing both students and yourself as a teacher at the same time.

So What?

• This blog is great for teachers who want a well informed person to let them know what to be aware of; new technologies that are out there (like the ipad), things to think about in the classroom (like whether or not holiday celebrations are appropriate), and also links to other helpful sources.



• As a teacher, I can see how it could become easy to get stuck in my little world where I am not learning from others and don't realize the support that is out there from people who are just like me. This blog highlights things teachers have posted in a section Needleman calls, "Day in a Sentence", where he highlights things teachers write about reflecting on their day.

Now What?

• As I become a teacher it is good to know what is going on in the world of teaching. A blog like this one will help me to think about the things that will affect me as a teacher. Which technologies would be helpful? What can we do in the classroom to become a better teacher? Though I will probably not agree with everything Needleman says, it is good to have the perspective of someone who is out there in the field and seems knowledgeable about his subject.

Generation IM

Plug into Generation IM by David Rapp

This article talks about online social networks fro children that can be used inside and outside of school. I have kind of been on the side of the fence that says these kinds of things aren't appropriate for children and certainly not in school, but the author brings up some good points in advocating them.

First, I think it's great that it is a way to get to know your students better. Being able to see their likes and dislikes brings out their personalities more and enables you to make more of a connection.

Second, it creates responsibility for the students if it's a site that you can post your syllabus on. Because it is available to the students and parents anytime (considering they have computers at home) and makes them responsible by not being able to say, "I didn't know what the assignment was", or, "I didn't know that was due today."

Third, it is a great way to get students interested in learning outside of school as in the example of the students who formed a book club outside of school with the help of one of these sites.

This article helped me to understand that some of the prejudices I have against technology are not always valid.

Assignment #1 - Technology Literacy

Part I: ERIC Database Article

Righting the Writing Process by Alan Dessoff

Form the District Administration Magazine

This article is about the use of technology in helping students learn how to write better. Studies have shown that since certain school districts have started implementing laptops in the classroom that writing scores have gone up.

The idea is that students are used to using computers; they use them at home, and get bored with pencils and paper. There are many programs out there, like MY Access, that help with the writing process while using technology. One pro to using technology is the instant feedback it provides to teachers to let them know where their students are without having to grade dozens of papers. They can provide instand feedback, which helps the students to learn the correct way as they do it.

One program, called, Kidspiration, helps K-5 students organize their writing. It is a great visual for teachers when doing book reports. Programs like this help students be able to do their pre-writing on a computer instead of the discouraging task of pre-writing on paper, then doing a first draft, then revising your first draft and so on. Kidspiration gives them the ability to organize it efficiently and to see it visually.

What I learned form this article is that children are already tuned in to technology. Teachers need to be aware of the fact that some of the things we've been doing for years and years are outdated. Though I can't imagine ever eliminate writing with pencil and paper, I can see the point that for many students (especially those with learning disabilities) using that process can be a daunting and time consuming task that doesn't really help them learn the content of what they're studying, but makes them concentrate on the actual hand-writing exercise instead.

Another thing I learned is that technology can raise the question of creating teachers who are more "guides on the side" than actual teachers. The challenge is to make technology the teacher's tool and not the other way around. It also enables the teacher to change from the role of the evil grader to a coach. For example: traditionally, a teacher gives an assignment to be graded and the student gets it back with a grade. With technology, the teacher can be there to correct a problem and "coach" the student in the process, therefore helping the student learn as he does, not after the fact.

In applying this article to future classroom use, I definitely would use technology like laptops to help students in writing papers and organizing their writing. Not only does it help in writing skills, but it also helps in typing and documentation skills, which is an invaluable ability to have these days. As in everything, I would have a balanced approach to using technology in my classroom. I would not have the students do every single writing assignment on a laptop, but would use it to my discretion when I think it would be benneficial, especially when considering which grade I will teach. 5th or 6th graders would probably bennefit more from it than a 2nd or 3rd grader.

Another thing I can apply to the classroom is the use of technology for formative assessment. Using technology for that can really help the teacher to know that the students are really learning what they're supposed to be learning.

Kidspiration Example: Shows how students can visualize information from the story in order to organize it into thoughts for their writing.

Part II - NETS for Teachers

The NETS I am choosing to focus on this semester is #2: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S.

Teachers:
a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.

b. develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.

c. customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.

d. provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching.

This is important to me as a teacher because I will be developing learning experiences, which really describes using technology in a classroom. Technology creates experiences and I find that to be inspiring. I want to be an engaging teacher that has an infectious enthusiasm for learning.

Ways I will work on this this semester is,

1) through adapting my learning about teaching to include technology. I can already see this happening in other classes and getting ideas about how to do this or that with technology.

2) to think about how I can use technology to reach students with different learning styles and abilities. Technology can help teach to every multiple intelligence from musical to kinesthetic and I want to be able to possess the knowledge to do that.

3) familiarize myself with the wide span of technology available to me as a teacher. The more I learn about the options out there, the more I realize I don't know! The possibilities are endless, but the more I learn about what is out there, the more I can pick and choose what will be best for my teaching style.

Part III - NETS for Students

The NETS for Students I am focusing on is #2: Communication and Collaboration

Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.

Students:
a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.
b. communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.
c. develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures.
d. contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.

This standard struck a chord with me because I think collaborative learning is an effective tool for teachers to use. Working together on projects promotes co-operation and communication, an imprtant skill for children to learn.

Project #1

The first assignment I could do with my students using this standard is to emphasize point c. by having the students write to penpals from different countries through email. We could focus on one country, or have teams that would cover certain countries and then teach the other students what they are learning from their penpals. Another option is to get in contact with a classroom from another country, match up students to be penpals, and then possibly have a "party" with video streaming at the end of the year. This would be a great way to teach students about not only communicating with people from your own country, but from other countries as well. You can pull so many different things into this like geography, food, dance, music, art and clothing.

Project #2

Another assignment I could do is to have the students create a story complete with pictures on the smartboard. There could be teams where the students would have to co-operate with each other on the storyline, the illustrations, the characters, etc. This could be after a lesson on plot, setting and theme and they would have to follow a certain pattern of story writing. Laptops would be a great tool for this so that each team could work on their own laptop. This lesson would emphasis creativity, communication and collaboration all while using technology.