Tool 11

I am so thrilled to have completed 11 Tools, and I learned a lot about the many technology-based programs there are for use in my classroom. I really liked creating an Animoto and feel it would be great to have students make them at the beginning of the year as a way of getting to know each other better and introducing themselves to me as well. I also loved using Wordle and would love to incorporate it into my reading program at the beginning of the year to introduce book club titles. It would also be great for assessing science concept formation at the end of a unit of study.
2. My thinking regarding technology in the classroom has changed because I have been surprised at how I was able to navigate through what I learned more easily than I anticipated. I do understand that teaching using this technology is better at accomodating all student learning styles. I will be organizing lessons around these programs as well as class centers to reinforce concepts.
After working on 23 Things several summers ago, I became a bit frustrated that the learning I had undergone would be difficult to reinforce, but after completing 11 Tools, I feel a sense that I can manage much of what I have learned. I am excited about the possibilities of this upcoming year.

Tool 10

Discuss at least three things you would want to make sure your students understand about being good digital citizens.
I believe students need to understand how to determine the accuracy of sources on the internet. It is completely true that many of our children believe if it is found online, it is indeed truth, which is very concerning and must be addressed. In addition, students need to regard all converstions online with anyone they don't know as conversations with strangers. Also, cyberbullying is a big problem and must be discussed. Students need to feel comfortable to report any type of this activity.
2. Share at least one of the resources mentioned above or on the Ed Tech website that you plan to use instructionally.
I liked the site called Cyberethics for Kids and I also am a continuous fan of Brain Pop in teaching concepts such as this.
3. Explain briefly how you would "teach" the idea of digital citizenship to your students.
I will be introducing this concept of digital citizenship using Brain Pop and Cyberethics for Kids. I will be modeling lessons on how to determine the credibility of internet sources as well.
4. Explain briefly how you plan to share the idea of digital citizenship with your parents.
It is extremely important to communicate with parents regarding internet safety, and even though Open House can be a good forum for this conversation, it is necessary to discuss these ideas from the very first day of school, perhaps in the form of a newsletter.

Tool 9

Why do you think it is important to tie the technology to the objective?
It is important to tie technology to the objective because students are engaged and motivated by content because of the technolgy.

Why should we hold students accountable for the stations/centers?
Stations and centers can easily become a distraction for children if they are not given a focus for how to think or key points to consider during their center work. This is extremely critical and distinguishes play from more purposeful learning.

Visit 2 of the applicable links to interactive websites for your content/grade level. Which sites did you like. How could you use them as stations? How can you hold the students accountable for their time in these stations? Some of the websites I previewed included Learning Games for Kids, Thinkfinity, and PhET. I loved the concept of PhET for science, although, as stated in the description, the content is more appropriate for middle and high school students. It would be great to use as a station to review more complex science concepts and create a response about new learning related to that concept. Both Learning Games for Kids and Thinkfinity seemed similar in what content they offered and how it was presented. Students could participate in open-ended use of the activities with a response, but because there is so much to navigate, it would be better to create a station that directs students to a few of the choices available.

List two to three apps you found for the iPod Touch/iPad that you can use in your classroom. What do you see that station looking like? How can you hold the students accountable for their time in these stations?
When looking through the variety of grade specific apps I noticed Banner Fans, which could be used for a book club response center or perhaps as a way to summarize a unit of study in any curriculum area. I also thought the concept for Audio Pal was intriguing. It would be fun to set up a center where students could embed an audio response to a new science concept or maybe discuss the key points of fractions or decimals during those unit studies.

What about other ways to use the iPod Touch/iPad? Share another way you can see your students using the device as a station.
I would like to further investigate how to use the iPad and iPod touch as a communication device for students in different parts of the world or in other parts of the country.

Tool 8

Now that I have learned some initial information regarding the IPads and ITouches, I feel I will be able to sync them and use them to work on our Google Docs project referred to in Tool #8. I am excited about the prospect of creating videos, yet will need to become a bit more comfortable with the devices first.
Managing the materials will be extremely important and luckily enough many of our students coming into fifth grade have had experiences using these devices. I do plan to number each device and assign each student one number that will be used all year. I will choose several responsible students to organize and pass out the IPads and ITouches.

Tool 7

Content Objective-The students will use Google Documents to respond to a class read aloud using learned comprehension strategies.
When you plan to implement- It will be implemented by September 2011.
What tool(s) you plan to use -Google Docs
A brief description of the project (plan - two or three sentences)-Two fifth grade classes will begin the same read aloud and will respond to various teacher generated ideas using Google Docs to communicate and incorporate reading comprehension strategies.
If you need to find another classroom - We can begin networking with other classrooms right here!

Tool 6

I loved Wallwisher and can really see how it would be a great place for students to post questions they have and publish key ideas they have learned.

Create interactive meetings at Poll Everywhere

Poll Everywhere is another wonderful tool. I created a poll asking my students which subject in school they most needed help in and can use these responses to prepare my schedule and plan my instruction.

Tool #5

I really had fun using Wordle and created this Wordle on our first read aloud of the year in fifth grade, No Talking by Andrew Clements. I think it will be fun for students to find a summary for an upcoming book club book, create a Wordle, and make predictions about the main events of the book from the resulting Wordle. After reading the Wordle can again be revisited.

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

I was a bit apprehensive about creating an Animoto, but it was much more simple than I thought. It was great importing the pictures I had saved, yet I had difficulty hearing the sound when trying to sample the music. I chose a piece, but I still cannot hear it and wonder if others can listen.

Tool #4

Today I just finished Tool #4 and enjoyed using Google Docs to share a potential schedule template with my team next year. It was fun to communicate with Arlene to practice going back and forth in real time. This part is very powerful if a team agrees to get together to plan from different locations.

Tool 3

This video clip is a great short introduction to the events of the American Revolution.




This clip is about weathering and erosion. I love the idea of The Weathering Channel!



This is an example of a subjective interpretation of The Boston Massacre.

When learning about copyright and fair use, I was reminded about the fact that I can use materials for educational purposes, just not in full.
I loved embedding the videos into my blog and it seemed fairly simple, yet if the photo or video needed to be linked, it was definitely more complicated. What a great way to share what's going on in school with parents and families. I really enjoyed Teacher Tube and found a ton of great things there.
When I was using Picasa the remix filter was not working, so I couldn't play with it. It was great being able to link a picture that I refer to each year in social studies. Everyone will have quick access when I refer to The Boston Massacre.

Tool 2

I have finished Tool 2 with much more ease than with Tool 1. It was addicting to read everyone's posts and to see where everyone is at in the process of 11 Tools.  I think eventually that this tool will prove most effective when I can create connections with fellow educators from all over.  If I am struggling with a new way to teach a difficult concept, a large pool of teachers with amazing ideas is so powerful.

Thing 1

Wow!  If it weren't for Arlene Reynolds, I don't know how I would have navigated through Thing 1.  I feel relieved to be finished!
I have just created my Avatar, and it looks just like my puppy, Missy.  This part of Thing 1 was fun.