Tool #11 Reflections

1. What are your favorite tools you now have in your personal technology toolbox?
I personally like the Wiki page. I really think it will help my students, and me, stay well connected to what is going in the classroom. It gives them a place to document what they are doing. They can also look back and connect to what they have done in the past.
Photostory is another tool I think the students would really enjoy. It's a great way to use all the different learning styles. This would make for a great research/group project. 4th and 5th graders love to do research. Photostory will give them a way to document what they have learned.

2. How have you transformed your thinking about the learning that will take place in your classroom?
I definitely feel more comfortable now with using technology in my classroom. For me, the summer is a good time to learn these different tools. There are too many distractions during the school year.

3. Were there any unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
Most, if not all, of the tools are pretty user friendly.

Tool #11

After looking over the different aspects of digital citizenship, it has been brought to my attention that I will need to spend blocks of time reviewing/modeling what good digital citizenship really means.
I need to create a couple of lessons on citing web resources. Not only will this better prepare them for the future, it will also give me a segway to plagiarism.
Plagiarism is a big issue in 4th and 5th grade. I will set up a couple of lessons, I know there is one on brainpop, on what digital plagiarism is and how it must be avoided. This will also correlate with writing and help them learn how to develop their own ideas-which is a whole other lesson.
I will also need to create a couple of lessons on "web manners" and what that means. They need to learn how written words can be misinterpreted and just the fact that they need to treat others fairly. A lot of this can be tied into community circle.

Tool #10

Finally, this one is easy for me!! I have an iPhone and love it! So, the iTouch is a great way to connect kids to the web. There are so many apps they can use. It's endless really. They can use the iTouches to update the blog, math flashcards, science demonstrations, etc.

Tool #9

I downloaded Jing and soon after got a virus. Just saying. It is good way to show someone where a restaurant is, etc.

I am a bigger fan of Skype. I think Skype would be a great way to to communicate with classes around the world. I would love to have a pen pal class. My teammate, Jenny, and I could have the same class and that way we could link LA with math and science.

Oh, you could Skype different science experiments,the "challenge" math problem of day
Here are some more ideas I found:
Share field trips with others. If your class goes out for a field trip, see about connecting with parents or other classes to share your classes’ experience.
Skype allows students to see first hand what people’s homes, schools, clothing, weather, and more looks like. If a festival takes place, Skype can bring it to your classroom too.
Form friendships that can easily bridge distance gaps with Skype.
Have guest lecturers come to your classroom via Skype.
Who says Skype has to be fun just for the kids? With Skype, teachers can collaborate on ideas, projects, and more.

Here is a website you can go to to make Skype classroom friends:
http://www.epals.com/

This is the site where I found all of these ideas:http://www.teachingdegree.org/2009/06/30/50-awesome-ways-to-use-skype-in-the-classroom/

Blogging from my iPhone

This is a post from my iPhone. It only took me three tries.
I did some pilates this morning. The kids have their first swim lesson today. Then we head to g-town to clean the house.
My computer has a virus!!!! Ugh!!

Tool #8

I use brainpop a lot to help teach various science topics. The video explains the information in a very clear and concise way. http://www.brainpop.com/science/space/mars/

Tool #8-Sneezing Panda

Look at the link to the right. It's a great way to use humor in the classroom.

Warning: The animal videos are usually a hit; but make sure you preview it. Even an innocent kitty can turn into something they shouldn't see.

Tool #7-Fun Photostory

It's been a while since I last blogged. Mainly because I was worried about doing the photo story. So, I did a fun one first. Take a look. I will go back soon and make a photo story of my summer. The problem is I need Jared's computer and he always has it with him at work.

Tool #6

Today I created a Wiki for my classroom. While at first I was pulling my hair out, I'm glad now that I set it up. I am anticipating that it will be easier from now on.
The Wiki page can be used to post current assignments, tests and the newsletter. I can also link the parents to more resources they can use at home with their children.

Tool #5

I had a little trouble understanding all of the information at first, but I basically see the purpose of the sites. I added two new links under my link list. I typed in elementary math for my tags. The students can use these sites for research papers. I can have two students set up a page with the bookmarks. That way the other students have something to work from.

Tool #4

We can use Google Docs to share our documents-especially the newsletter. No longer do we have to email it back and forth to each other. It's a great way to connect with my team quickly and to avoid all the paper piles.
The Google reader is a good way to keep up with the blogs I am following. Once school starts, we can put blogs on there for the kids and that way they can quickly see new updates.

Tool #3

The images on the blog can be used to show various science experiments done in the science lab, images of the students, and really anything the students would like to blog. Wordle can be used to display our vocabulary words, the students' names, and the different concepts we are learnng for that week. It is a good way to reinforce what we are learning. I know the kids will also like using ImageChef. We can come up with a fun saying for the science taks to help keep them motivated. :) Bookr would be great to use for review. Different images could be put in and for each image, the students would describe how it relates to what we are learning. For example, we could create a book of the different moon phases. The students would then work together to create descriptions of each phase on chart paper. Then we would post the descriptions and take a gallery walk to compare. I'm getting excited!!

Tool #1 & #2 Summer Mornings

Summer mornings are my favorite part of the day, mainly because it is quiet. I also am excited about all of the things I can get done! So this morning I had a lot of fun adding buttons to my blog. I also rearranged the layout to make it easier to read.
Today my nephews are coming over to go for a swim. They are growing up so fast.
I am enjoying creating my blog. It does take some time but overall it is rather easy. I know my students will be able to catch on quickly. My plan is to create a blog for my class in the fall. I would like to make it an interactive sight where parents can come together and feel like they are a part of their child's education. I would like for students to post daily what they completed in class, or maybe weekly. I will also put all of the other "teachery" things on there.
I appreciate Cool Cat Teacher's comment about how we need to make sure we explain our comments. We shouldn't just write "great" or "wow." We need to explain why and what our thoughts are. This way you make more of a connection with the blogger.

Sizzle

Could it be any hotter outside?

Monday, Tuesday and today I went to a Love and Logic presentation. While it was hard to get up in the morning, the presentation was very informative. I look forward to using the techniques this year.

This afternoon we will probably go for a swim. Jack and Maddie are loving the pool.