Week 5: My Favorite Web 2.0 Sites

Kid-Cast: http://www.kid-cast.com/

Kid-Cast.com is a great resource to use at school!It is a website for kids to publish their own Podcasts so other kids can listen. It is a safe way for kids to share their ideas, and listen to what other kids have learned as well. A teacher at my school used this last year and the kids absolutely loved it! She also posted it on their class blog so the parents could listen as well. I would love to use this tool in my classroom next year! This website can be used with any grade level and any subject.

Voice Thread: http://voicethread.com/
Voice Thread is another Web 2.0 site that teachers at my school love to use. Voice thread is a multimedia slideshow that holds images, documents, and videos and allows people to make comments using a mic or telephone. I know more teachers in the primary grades that use this tool, but it would work great with the older grades as well. For example, last year we made a voice thread to send to the parents over the Christmas Holidays. The kids wrote about what Christmas means to them and then drew a picture. I would put each student's work under the document camera and take a picture of it. Then I would have that child come up and read what they had written. I did that with every student, and then emailed the parents the link. There were some great responses because the parents were so proud when they got to see their child's work. This would be a great tool to use in the upper grades as well. The older kids could make their own voice thread of a story they have written or for any type of presentation. I would recommend this to any teacher because it is easy to use and the kids and parents love it!

Week 4- Multimedia Use in the Classroom

   This week I have found some great examples of using multimedia in the classroom! There are several ways to incorporate media in the classroom; such as blogs, journals, movies, and websites. However,  I have found blogs to be one of the most helpful. Teachers share some great ideas, post pictures, and also link great websites that they use.
    For example, one blog that I have chosen to follow for the google reader project is called Mrs. Kilburn's Kiddos.  This is a great blog because is has resources ranging from lesson plans to creative bulletin board ideas. Another thing that I love about her blog is it has thematic units to use throughout the year. For example, she linked a back to school packet that she gives parents at the beginning of the year. Click on this link and it will take you straight to the packet: http://mrskilburnkiddos.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/back-to-school-packet.pdf Since I am a first year teacher, this is such a great resource to use! I have gathered a few things over the years and had an idea of what information to send home, but this is fabulous because it has everything in one place and I can check to see if there is anything I have might not thought about. Another wonderful resource on this blog is the printables. There is a printable on every letter of the alphabet where the kids can cut and paste pictures that begin with same letter and then glue the pictures onto a big letter. Here is the example for the letter E: http://mrskilburnkiddos.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/the-letter-e-cut-and-paste.pdf. I will definitely be using this blog in the future for a variety of activities and ideas!!
   Another blog I found was created by a teacher named Kathy Cassidy. It is called Mrs. Cassidy's Classroom Blog. She teaches first grade in Canada. I loved her blog because she incorporates so much technology into her classroom and then posts it on the blog. It looks like her classroom is so fun and the kids get to do some great projects! The great thing about it is she records them with a flip camera or she does a voice thread of the kids work. For example, they had feasant eggs in their classroom, and when the eggs started to hatch she recorded in and got the kids to do the commentary! It was so cool because the kids will remember this forever and she can post it on her blog and the parents would be able to see it as well.  Here is the link to the youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7bdJ6YwOWY&feature=player_embedded#at=190. I had never really thought about it before, but you tube is a great resource for the classroom. Kids love to be on camera and it is also great for parents! I will probably be using this idea especially when we do the unit on animals and we get our own eggs to watch! Here is another link to a video, but this time the kids created "Jack and the Beanstalk" and they used clay to represent the characters and the kids narrated the story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y15G55k2jv8&feature=player_embedded#at=10. I will be saving this blog under favorites as well, because it has loads of great ideas for using technology in the classroom and the kids seemed to love it!!!

Week 3

This week as I read chapters 3,4, and 5, I learned more about the different types of instructional software. I had no idea there was so many different types of software I will be able to use in my classroom. I learned more about 6 different kinds of software. Here is a list of each one, what it means, and how I would incorporate it into my classroom. If you click on the type of software it will link you to a website that tells more about it!

1. Drill and Practice : Drill and practice is designed to help users remember isolated facts and recall them quickly. I would incorporate drill and practice into my classroom by installing software that will allow students to reinforce specific skills, such as reading and math. Used in small doses, this software can replace lessons and reinforce what the students have learned. This software would be great to incorporate into centers as a game because the students would be able to apply some problem solving strategies as well as practice basic skills. The website I chose for drill and practice was Mia's Reading Adventure: The Bugaboo Bugs. This software can be used with kids ages 5 to 9. The Bugaboo Bugs is for kids that are working on their reading and language skills.

2. Tutorial : Tutorial is a type of instruction software that offers a complete sequence of instruction on a given topic, including explanation, examples, embedded practice, and feedback. My school already uses the tutorial software Starfall that I will continue to use in my classroom. Starfall is great because helps children to read with phonics. It teaches kids that reading can be fun!

3. Simulation : Simulation software models a real or imaginary system in order to teach the principles on which the system is based. Facebook now has several types of simulation software. For example, there is FarmVille and CityVille where people can create their own town by making stores, restaurants, etc. I think this software is a great tool to use in the classroom because students can create real life situations and manage money. Since I teach kindergarten I would probably use a game like "Penguin Diner." In this game, the kids have to help a penguin by getting it back to its family, and the only way for it to do that is by managing a diner. There are all sorts of fun simulation games for all grade levels and I know the kids would love it!!

4. Instructional games : Instructional games is a type of software function designed to increase motivation by adding game rules to a learning activity. I would probably incorporate this into my classrooms on Friday or for stations. This website is great because it has instructional games for each grade level and you just pick what grade you teach. I clicked on kindergarten and one of the games was Mighty Math Zoo Zillions. It is a game where kids can play fun games, while it teaches number line concepts, addition and subtraction, counting money, and problem solving skills. This website will be great to use when I feel like a certain topic needs to be reinforced and it is fun for the kids too!

5. Problem Solving : Problem solving is a intellectual function where the learner uses high order cognitive processes to solve problems one does not initially know. The website I would incorporate into my classroom for problem solving would be Superkids. This website is great because it has a variety of games to choose from, and it tells you the age level. The game I chose was Gary Gadget: Building Cars. This is a fun program that combines classic search and exploration games. It is best for the kids that like to build or solve puzzles. I would love to use this in my classroom once I get to know the kids and what their interests are, but what boy doesn't like cars and building things!?! The only downfall about this game is that you have to pay for it. 

6. Integrated Learning Systems : ILS is an online system that provides both computer based instruction and summary reports of student progress. ILS can be used to deliver and teaching material. However, it does tend to focus on basic skills, such as literacy and numeracy. An example of an ILS is SuccessMaker. I was not able to find the Successmaker website, but it sounds like a good tool for teachers to use and it has shown some great results.   

By reading the chapters this week, I have found some great software tools that I will be able to use in my classroom this year. I hope you find the websites just as helpful as I did!!

Week 2

 

This video gave 10 tips in incorporating technology in the classroom:
1. Use Streaming Video

2. Use Music: find out what kind of music the students like and incorporate it into lessons

3. Use teleconferencing tools: Skype is a good way for students to communicate with other students               around the world

4.  Create your own interactive exercises

          For example: the teacher knows their students strengths more than anyone, so the teacher needs to  tailor students exercises to fit their students strengths

5. Use interactive whiteboard more effectively

6. Create your own podcasts

7. Start a blog or wiki: this is a great tool to showcase student work and keep the parents up to date with what is going on in the classroom

8. Use social networks: Using a closed group in a social network allows the teacher and parents to communicate more effectively

9. Use internet tools: use what is already handy and available

10. Make the most of your students gadgets : most students have phones and i-pods, so use those tools to relate to them

      I thought this video was very valuable for teachers wanting to learn more about incorporating technology in their classroom. The world is becoming more and more technological. New jobs have been created just because of advances in technology. This impacts teachers greatly because we are shaping students lives and students are now surrounded by all kinds of technology. If teachers do not move forward with the advancement of technology, then students lose interest and the teaching will not be nearly as effective as it could be. This you tube video gave 10 great examples of how teachers can use technology in their classroom to make learning more effective and valuable for students. 

       I gained several ideas about incorporating technology into my classroom from watching this video. For example, I loved the idea about using Skype in the classroom. I think it is great for students to communicate with other students around the country and even around the world. Writing letters to one another is great, but I think it would be even better if the students could see one another and see each others learning environment. Another idea I liked was using blogs and social networks to communicate with parents. Parental communication is key, and when parents know what is going on in the classroom and can see their child's work, it makes them feel better and makes the teacher/parent relationship much better. I hope you get as much out of this video as I did!

         I believe this video links to Chapter 1 and 2 in several ways. On page 24, the author talks about implications of new technologies for teachers and students. The implications the book gave were flexible learning environments, adaptable assessment options, reliance on distance learning, and support for people with disabilities. First, with the flexible learning environments, the author states that students no longer have to go to the labs, the labs come to the students. With portable devices such as cell phones and lap tops, students can gather information and take notes from anywhere. With assessment options, teachers can use interactive white boards to ask students questions and the students answer with a remote clicker. This lets the teacher know if the students understand the information while teaching the lesson. The next implication is reliance on distance learning, which becoming more and more popular. This is where skype and other teleconferencing tools come into play. Many schools are now offering online courses, so the need for these tools is becoming greater and greater. Teachers need to start incorporating this type of technology into their classroom because virtual classrooms are starting to increase. These are just a few of the ways technology is being implicated into classrooms. With this type of technology, students will be able to do incredible things and this is just paving a way for them in the future. I can't wait to see what a tech-savy classroom will look in 10 to 20 years... the possibilities are endless!

Introduction

Hi! My name is Mary Elizabeth Allen. I was born and raised in Birmingham, AL. I graduated from the University of Alabama in May of 2010. Roll Tide!! I majored in Elementary Education so when I graduated it was pretty tough finding a job. Thankfully, I was able to find a job as an Instructional Aide at Cherokee Bend Elementary in Mountain Brook. It was such and incredible job and I gained so much experience. I was able to get to know all of the teachers and most of the students in the school. I did a variety of things from grading papers to instructing small groups to administering the DIBELS test. It was such a great job my first year out of college, but I still wished to have my own classroom. Well just a few weeks ago my wish came true. I am going to be teaching kindergarten next year! I could not be more excited and can't wait to meet all of the little ones!

I am taking this class because I am in the process of getting my masters in Elementary Education and I want to learn more about using technology in the classroom. I am not much of a techno whiz, so I think this class will help me in finding new ways to incorporate technology in my lesson plans and other classroom activities. My favorite type of technology is the Promethean Board. When I was doing my student teaching I was able to be in a classroom with a Promethean Board and I learned so much! It is such a great resource and I am looking forward to using one in my classroom next year.