After taking the assessment for the 11 Tools on Atomic Learning (scoring 70%) here are the final answers about 11 Tools I will post on today's blog.
1. I have learned about so many different applications, web sites and ways to incorporate technology in the classroom. As a special education teacher working with small groups or going into the classroom for inclusion, I find it more important that I understand all the different applications that can be used in the classroom so that I can be informed and help the classroom teacher with projects assigned. I can also help my resource students with their class projects and help plan and implement with the teacher. As far as working with small groups in my own classroom, I like the idea of using all the different applications with the i-Touch that I was given to use. Students can use the i-Touch while they are waiting for their group to begin or as a tool to reinforce learning that is going on in the classroom.
2. Going through the 11 Tools this summer has certainly been an eye-opening experience for me. I didn't realize how "behind the times" I was until I embarked on this assignment. Teaching special education in a pull-out environment has hindered my knowledge of technology and how to best use it in my classroom. My vision has changed because I now see the importance of my students using this technology and applying it to their level of learning on an almost daily basis. I also see the importance of inclusion in the general education classroom in order for "my" students to experience this level of teaching and to be able to collaborate with their peers on projects assigned in the core subjects. The only changes I need to make in my classroom is to implement whatever tools I am given to teach with. Currently I have two desktop Dell computers that my students use for reading and math purposes. Since I have been given the i-Touch to use, I plan on implementing this device by downloading applications applicable to reading, writing, spelling and math. If I'm given other devices, I plan on taking staff developments to learn how to use them so I can implement them in my classroom as well.
3. There were several obstacles to overcome in the beginning of this project. The first 4 tools were difficult to understand especially when I didn't know what I was doing. I was trying to figure it out on my own which was taking so much time and energy. It was very helpful to attend the help sessions with our librarian and working with coworkers to help finish each tool. Once I got past the first 4 tools, the rest went smoothly except for the time involved in this entire process. There were many more than 9 hours involved in this project!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Tool # 10 - Digital Cizitenship
Tool # 10 discussed all aspects of digital citizenship and the responsibility teachers and students must take to make informed decisions concerning internet sources and how we should use the internet in a responsible way. I liked the discussion Vicki Davis (Cool Cat Teacher Blog) had about digital citizenship. She said that in order to have "healthy schools" we must model and teach our kids so that they have a solid foundation when it comes to digital citizenship and that it's important we don't leave our students to "figure it out on their own".
1. Three areas that I would want my students to know about digital citizenship would be safety, etiquette and learning sources. Safety is of the utmost importance when students are "surfing" the net. Students need to understand what sites are appropriate for them and those sites that are not. As adults and teachers, we must model appropriate safety citizenship by only accessing sites in the classroom and on our own personal computers those internet sites appropriate for research and personal use. As far as etiquette on the classroom computers, I would want my students to learn the importance of respect and responsibility when using social networking like Facebook and Twitter. When students are doing research for class assignments, it is important that they access sites that are backed up by proof and use multiple sources of information when forming an opinion about a certain topic.
2. To help teach my students about digital citizenship I referred to the Ed Tech web site for ideas as well as the blogs and other sites mentioned in tool 10. I would probably use Easy Tech to help teach kids about what is safe and appropriate when completing internet projects.
3. Before introducing a research project using the internet to my students, I would spend a few days teaching and modeling digital citizenship. I would use class discussions, web sites and Easy Tech to help kids understand the importance of safety, etiquette and appropriate sources for information.
4. It is extremely important that parents understand the importance of internet safety and what their children know about the computer and the sites they access. Parents should be made aware of the extent technology is being taught in the classroom and take some of their personal time to acquaint themselves with web sites their children are accessing. As a teacher, I would communicate with parents the projects we are doing using technology and the internet. I would encourage them to communicate with their kids the importance of safety and etiquette. I would also stress that parents be aware at all times what their kids are doing on the computer and keep the computers in an area that is accessible to the entire family and where it can be monitored at all times. This could be communicated to parents in a beginning of school letter, Open House or as each technology lesson is assigned.
1. Three areas that I would want my students to know about digital citizenship would be safety, etiquette and learning sources. Safety is of the utmost importance when students are "surfing" the net. Students need to understand what sites are appropriate for them and those sites that are not. As adults and teachers, we must model appropriate safety citizenship by only accessing sites in the classroom and on our own personal computers those internet sites appropriate for research and personal use. As far as etiquette on the classroom computers, I would want my students to learn the importance of respect and responsibility when using social networking like Facebook and Twitter. When students are doing research for class assignments, it is important that they access sites that are backed up by proof and use multiple sources of information when forming an opinion about a certain topic.
2. To help teach my students about digital citizenship I referred to the Ed Tech web site for ideas as well as the blogs and other sites mentioned in tool 10. I would probably use Easy Tech to help teach kids about what is safe and appropriate when completing internet projects.
3. Before introducing a research project using the internet to my students, I would spend a few days teaching and modeling digital citizenship. I would use class discussions, web sites and Easy Tech to help kids understand the importance of safety, etiquette and appropriate sources for information.
4. It is extremely important that parents understand the importance of internet safety and what their children know about the computer and the sites they access. Parents should be made aware of the extent technology is being taught in the classroom and take some of their personal time to acquaint themselves with web sites their children are accessing. As a teacher, I would communicate with parents the projects we are doing using technology and the internet. I would encourage them to communicate with their kids the importance of safety and etiquette. I would also stress that parents be aware at all times what their kids are doing on the computer and keep the computers in an area that is accessible to the entire family and where it can be monitored at all times. This could be communicated to parents in a beginning of school letter, Open House or as each technology lesson is assigned.
Tool # 9 -Incorporating Classroom Based Devices
Tool # 9 talked about incorporating all these new devices we've learned about this summer into our daily classroom routine and lesson plans. The video by Sir Ken Robinson was very interesting especially when he talked about divergent thinking and the "epidemic" of ADHD in kids today. What he had to say made a lot of sense. Now it's just about incorporating some of the ideas he talked about. Will that happen? We have to wait and see but it needs to start with individual teachers and their commitment to change and technology.
1. It is important to tie technology to the objective because technology is the way children are going to best learn in today's society. We as teacher's need to "catch up" with the technology so that we may best know how to instruct our students. We need to know the desired learning outcome and choose the technology that will fit the lesson. It's important to make sure the activity is congruent with the objective.
2. It is important to hold students accountable for workstations because you need to know if the student has mastered and understands the concept the teacher has introduced. If the assignment is a produced piece of work or the student has contributed to a discussion then you already have accountability. If not, it is important to know if the student has completed the assignment in the workstation. The only way of checking for completeness is to develop a rubric for assessment purposes. Other ideas might include creating a google document where students highlight the stations they have completed and write a response to the assignment. A teacher could also use a web camera or voice recorder for students to record their answers and discuss what they learned.
3. Two links to internet websites I found applicable to the students I teach include Learning Games for Kids and Tutpup. I have already used Learning Games for Kids in my classroom and introduced it using the games for multiplication. It really helped my students try to learn their facts and then they found other games applicable to the classroom. Tutpup could be used for basic math and spelling. I liked the idea of competing against other students in other countries in the area of spelling and math. This past school year my class had spelling bees in order to prepare for Friday spelling tests and they really enjoyed it and reminded me of it when I forgot.
4. Some of the applications I liked for the iPods/iPads include many in the area of reading/literacy and math. Since these are the two main subjects my students and I work on, I felt it best to discuss a couple of these. First I liked the games Word Warp and Shake and Spell. These two apps would definately address the area of writing and spelling for my students. I think they would be more interested to use the iPod (which I checked out for my class) to help in writing complete sentences and spelling words correctly than just being given a piece of paper and pencil. The other app I think my students would respond well to is the iTalkRecorder. I could use this in a listening center and allow students to read books we have been reading during our LLI lessons so they can hear themselves read and compare it to others as well as myself. They could record a cold read and then record the same book again after they have read it several times to see their progress.
5. Other ways to incorporate the iPod/iTouch in my classroom is to let the students have exploring time with the iTouch. I hate to use the word "free time" because of the implications this term has, but to allow the students a certain amount of time to explore and play with the iTouch only increases their skill level with this device and makes them more comfortable checking out the applications. I could use this activity as a behavior reward. The students would have to earn their time based on behavior and work completion. For those students that don't complete assignments can see what they are missing when their peers are using the iTouch and they can't.
1. It is important to tie technology to the objective because technology is the way children are going to best learn in today's society. We as teacher's need to "catch up" with the technology so that we may best know how to instruct our students. We need to know the desired learning outcome and choose the technology that will fit the lesson. It's important to make sure the activity is congruent with the objective.
2. It is important to hold students accountable for workstations because you need to know if the student has mastered and understands the concept the teacher has introduced. If the assignment is a produced piece of work or the student has contributed to a discussion then you already have accountability. If not, it is important to know if the student has completed the assignment in the workstation. The only way of checking for completeness is to develop a rubric for assessment purposes. Other ideas might include creating a google document where students highlight the stations they have completed and write a response to the assignment. A teacher could also use a web camera or voice recorder for students to record their answers and discuss what they learned.
3. Two links to internet websites I found applicable to the students I teach include Learning Games for Kids and Tutpup. I have already used Learning Games for Kids in my classroom and introduced it using the games for multiplication. It really helped my students try to learn their facts and then they found other games applicable to the classroom. Tutpup could be used for basic math and spelling. I liked the idea of competing against other students in other countries in the area of spelling and math. This past school year my class had spelling bees in order to prepare for Friday spelling tests and they really enjoyed it and reminded me of it when I forgot.
4. Some of the applications I liked for the iPods/iPads include many in the area of reading/literacy and math. Since these are the two main subjects my students and I work on, I felt it best to discuss a couple of these. First I liked the games Word Warp and Shake and Spell. These two apps would definately address the area of writing and spelling for my students. I think they would be more interested to use the iPod (which I checked out for my class) to help in writing complete sentences and spelling words correctly than just being given a piece of paper and pencil. The other app I think my students would respond well to is the iTalkRecorder. I could use this in a listening center and allow students to read books we have been reading during our LLI lessons so they can hear themselves read and compare it to others as well as myself. They could record a cold read and then record the same book again after they have read it several times to see their progress.
5. Other ways to incorporate the iPod/iTouch in my classroom is to let the students have exploring time with the iTouch. I hate to use the word "free time" because of the implications this term has, but to allow the students a certain amount of time to explore and play with the iTouch only increases their skill level with this device and makes them more comfortable checking out the applications. I could use this activity as a behavior reward. The students would have to earn their time based on behavior and work completion. For those students that don't complete assignments can see what they are missing when their peers are using the iTouch and they can't.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Tool # 8 - Taking a Look at the Tools!
Tool # 8 was all about reviewing the new technology that all classrooms will be receiving by 2012. It is very exciting to see SBISD investing in our student's future in such a positive way through the use of all this new technology. I'm sure we are probably one of only a few districts taking on this initiative toward our student's future. I like the idea of having the Dell Notebook in the classroom. It appears to offer most of what the desktop does except it is smaller and more compact and doesn't take up as much room in the classroom. I also like the option of the webcam to use for videos. I was already aware of the iPod touch/iPad. We were fortunate to already have these tools in our library and since I have worked our Family Library Night I have been exposed to the iPod touch/iPad. I didn't know that it had to be tied into I-tunes in order to download applications and I need to experiment with the iPod touch I checked out this summer and practice downloading applications that I can use in my classroom this next school year. As far as classroom management with these new computers, it is important to slowly introduce the notebooks and iPods to the students through workstations. It's also a good idea to assign as a classroom job removing the devices from the charging stations and returning them in the afternoon. That person could also be responsible for reporting any technology issues to me that need to be addressed. Depending on what I have in my classroom, I plan on taking a couple of weeks letting the kids explore and play with the devices. They will probably be able to teach me more than I can teach them!
Now on to tool # 9 - 3 more to go Woo Hoo!!!!!!!
Now on to tool # 9 - 3 more to go Woo Hoo!!!!!!!
Tool # 7 - Online Collaboration
Tool # 7 discussed the different types of online collaborative projects to be used with students. These online projects can be used across the United States with other classrooms, within a school district or even between classrooms. For the students I teach, some of these sites seemed to be addressing concepts my students are not quite ready for. I like the idea of using Class2Class to set up an online collaborative project with another class in my school. Some current online projects listed with Class2Class include an estimating and graphing activity between students using M & M candies. I like this project because it does address the Math concepts of estimation and graphing which is taught as early as Kindergarten but brought to a higher level in 2nd and 3rd grade. I envision setting up a project on Class2Class using this estimation and graphing project between several classes at my school. Since I teach students with learning disabilities and most of these students are "pulled out" for instruction in math and reading, I could use their general education classroom to collaborate with their peers to help us complete this project. The following criteria will be used to begin this project.
I. Content Objective: Using the online collaboration site Class2Class, the students will participate in a estimation and graphing project using candy to estimate the colors of the candy inside the bag, graph the results, gather data on the exact color of candy in the bag and then share their findings online with their peers from their homeroom classroom.
II. Implementation: During the first 9 weeks of school
III. Tools Used: Class2Class online collaboration site, individual bags of M&M's, graph paper
IV. Description of Project: I will set up an online project site using Class2Class and invite at least two other classes to participate online with their peers to complete this assignment. After distributing individual bags of candy to my students, I will have the students estimate how many of each color M & M they think are in their bag of candy. At the same time their peers will be doing the same thing in their classroom. Using graph paper, they will open their bags of candy and count the actual colors and compare them to their estimation. After graphing their results, the students will sign on to Class2Class and report their findings. After everyone has completed this assignment and posted their findings on Class2Class, we will share each students findings using an Active Board in the classroom. The students will then answer questions about this assignment and be tested on their understanding of estimation and graphing results.
I. Content Objective: Using the online collaboration site Class2Class, the students will participate in a estimation and graphing project using candy to estimate the colors of the candy inside the bag, graph the results, gather data on the exact color of candy in the bag and then share their findings online with their peers from their homeroom classroom.
II. Implementation: During the first 9 weeks of school
III. Tools Used: Class2Class online collaboration site, individual bags of M&M's, graph paper
IV. Description of Project: I will set up an online project site using Class2Class and invite at least two other classes to participate online with their peers to complete this assignment. After distributing individual bags of candy to my students, I will have the students estimate how many of each color M & M they think are in their bag of candy. At the same time their peers will be doing the same thing in their classroom. Using graph paper, they will open their bags of candy and count the actual colors and compare them to their estimation. After graphing their results, the students will sign on to Class2Class and report their findings. After everyone has completed this assignment and posted their findings on Class2Class, we will share each students findings using an Active Board in the classroom. The students will then answer questions about this assignment and be tested on their understanding of estimation and graphing results.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Tool # 6 - More Web 2.0 tools
Tool # 6 was very interesting to learn about and the most user friendly for the students in my class. I can use both Wallwisher and Build a Poll with my students on a daily basis. I plan to post a question pertaining to a math concept on Build a Poll daily and have my students read and answer the question. Wallwisher can be used to post a question about a book or story we are reading and the students can go in and post a stickie note to answer the question.
Make a live audience poll at Poll Everywhere
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Web 2.0 - Tool # 5
Today I met friends at Barnes and Noble to work on Web 2.0 applications that I could use with me students in the classroom. I first used Tika Tok to write my own book and posted it below about a football team who was the underdog in a game. My students could use this application to write their own stories. This would be helpful to them because it gives them a story starter and also allows them to edit for correct sentence structure. They can also post pictures to illustrate their story. The second application I used was Stupeflix Studio. I created a video using pictures from past vacations I have taken and added music to the video for effect. My students could also use this application to illustrate a story they have just read or post pictures from a non fiction text we have read in class.
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