Skype is a useful tool that allows people to communicate by text, voice, and video. It can be used on phones, televisions, or computers. It could be useful for us in this online class by showing classmates how they navigated a site or created something by seeing it and not just reading how a student did it in the discussion board.
I found this really cool site http://sqworl.com/mm2u21 that gives tons of cool sites to choose from. Really check this site out…site to make comics, publish books, timelines, etc. One source that I found was http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/newpoem.htm I will incorporate it into my classroom by using it in my upcoming poetry-writing unit. My students will just type in the words to the field boxes and it creates the poems. Another source is http://www.google.com/earth/index.html I will incorporate it into my classroom by downloading it and then searching to show my students the places that we are reading about or talking about in all subject areas. This allows them to see the actual places and visualize them. I have done this some with just pictures I find online and my students get so much more motivated and pumped up about learning the topic!
Web 2.0 is a term used to describe sites on the Internet that are services and not just articles. The sites have ways to create something, collaborate, and share content via the Internet. It is a combination of technology integrated on a website to communicate in some way. I bet the web based graphing tool in the textbook article for this week was a web 2.0 website. Using web 2.0 sites are ways for students to be creative and think critically by people working together in technology like the creativity article discusses. Using these tools is a new way to collaborate together and exchange ideas. Some examples that I use in my personal life are craigslist and facebook. Some examples that I found to use as a teacher are www1.teachertube.com and http://www.curriki.org/. I used teacher tube the other day looking up Dr. Jean’s cheers because a colleague told me that they are very effective to use in the classroom. I am going to try a few cheers in my classroom. I found curriki while looking to write this post. This is a site where teachers come together to collaborate and share curriculum- lessons and activities.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
week 2 discussion - Moodle - Jacquie Bussen
Moodle was a word that I unfortunately had never even heard before. I learned a lot from the YouTube videos and the links provided. It is a learning management tool that is online to enable teachers to run his/her class interactively on the web with any content delivered. It is exciting that there is a free site for regular teachers to set up online classrooms like college level online classes. It is another great way to organize my life as a teacher by putting notes, PowerPoint, tests, websites, videos, links, chats, etc. on one site. I basically view the Moodle as a class website that is interactive.
Unfortunately due to the lack of technology resources in my current building, I will not use this now. I can see this being a great resource to use in the future. We only have about 75 computers in my building for 500 students. We have 2 labs. One lab is used for computer class and the other to sign up and use. Then each classroom has a student computer. I also have about half of my class without home Internet access. I enjoyed learning about a Moodle. This is really the future of our classrooms. Our world is turning digital and this will be the new classroom someday. It is so difficult to keep up with the advances in technology!
I really enjoyed reading the “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants” article. I feel that I am in between a native and immigrant being 28 years old. I have attributes of both. I am open to new technology advances, but it just takes some getting used to. I need more time and imagination to truly turn to a teacher fully meeting the needs of digital natives. I was shocked that the article was written in 2001. Ten years ago and teaching hasn’t changed much. It was interesting to read that students’ brains have physically changed. Their thinking patterns are different. It was also interesting to admit that digital immigrants have an “accent”. It is just such an entirely new way of teaching and speaking in terms of language. Like Moodle for me, I just learned this word today! Back to the point of students’ brains being different as a result of the digital input they receive, we as teachers need to change our methodology and content of teaching to meet the new brains needs. I liked how Marc Prensky wrote about having to teach a combination of legacy and future content…there is a happy medium. I think there is a need for a balance so students can reflect in face-to-face discussion and think critically together. I also found it so interesting that CAD software for engineers created video games to help them learn the new program! How cool! After reading this article, I am more motivated to integrate more digital ways of learning into my teaching to meet the needs of my digital native students. I think this would also decrease misbehaviors in my classroom. I feel that it is my job to have a better fit to my approaches when lesson planning.
I am looking forward to completing the evaluation project this week. I tend to just Google sites on the spot due to lack of plan time. I then use them in my classroom on my interactive 3-M board. I know that I need to be taking the time to evaluate them. The dlhmo and mlk sites that were not educational also shocked me. WOW! I really do need to be evaluating sites before using them with my students. I will add sites to my delicious.com site to use once I know they are safe and effective to my learning objective.
Unfortunately due to the lack of technology resources in my current building, I will not use this now. I can see this being a great resource to use in the future. We only have about 75 computers in my building for 500 students. We have 2 labs. One lab is used for computer class and the other to sign up and use. Then each classroom has a student computer. I also have about half of my class without home Internet access. I enjoyed learning about a Moodle. This is really the future of our classrooms. Our world is turning digital and this will be the new classroom someday. It is so difficult to keep up with the advances in technology!
I really enjoyed reading the “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants” article. I feel that I am in between a native and immigrant being 28 years old. I have attributes of both. I am open to new technology advances, but it just takes some getting used to. I need more time and imagination to truly turn to a teacher fully meeting the needs of digital natives. I was shocked that the article was written in 2001. Ten years ago and teaching hasn’t changed much. It was interesting to read that students’ brains have physically changed. Their thinking patterns are different. It was also interesting to admit that digital immigrants have an “accent”. It is just such an entirely new way of teaching and speaking in terms of language. Like Moodle for me, I just learned this word today! Back to the point of students’ brains being different as a result of the digital input they receive, we as teachers need to change our methodology and content of teaching to meet the new brains needs. I liked how Marc Prensky wrote about having to teach a combination of legacy and future content…there is a happy medium. I think there is a need for a balance so students can reflect in face-to-face discussion and think critically together. I also found it so interesting that CAD software for engineers created video games to help them learn the new program! How cool! After reading this article, I am more motivated to integrate more digital ways of learning into my teaching to meet the needs of my digital native students. I think this would also decrease misbehaviors in my classroom. I feel that it is my job to have a better fit to my approaches when lesson planning.
I am looking forward to completing the evaluation project this week. I tend to just Google sites on the spot due to lack of plan time. I then use them in my classroom on my interactive 3-M board. I know that I need to be taking the time to evaluate them. The dlhmo and mlk sites that were not educational also shocked me. WOW! I really do need to be evaluating sites before using them with my students. I will add sites to my delicious.com site to use once I know they are safe and effective to my learning objective.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Reflection - Jacquie Bussen
Integrating technology into the classroom is so important. It is essential for preparing our students for this global society. As a teacher, I have many strengths and weaknesses. I feel that it is a ultimately a collaborative effort with incorporating technology: the school district providing the technology financially, myself being open to using the technology, and professional development being provided to effectively use it. Technology will help all types of learners become engaged in learning and acquire the skills needed in the real world. Technology helps learning to become more meaningful and fun!
My strengths in technology are email, WORD, basic Power Points, using a 3-M board, and searching the Internet. Yes, I stretched this as far as I could to have some strengths:) I am now feeling confident with blogs and delicsious.com due to only one week of taking this course.
My weaknesses in technology are learning new things. I am open to this, but just don’t have the time to learn it on my own. I wish the school district would provide the time and professional development to effectively implement our current and new technology in our classrooms.
According to the Hallmarks of an Effective eMINTS Classroom survey, I am proficient to advanced with teacher-facilitated learning, student-centered learning, unique teaching pedagogy and learning strategies to implement standards-based curriculum, community of learners, and assessment of student performance. I am transitional in project-based learning, use of technology for learning, and professional collaboration.
According to Grappling’s technology and learning spectrum, I am in between the adapting uses and transforming uses. I would like to fall into the transforming uses category in the future. I want to be using technology as complex learning and thinking tools, assessment tools, and productivity tools. I most hope that my students will initiate technology uses as they create their own learning experiences learning together.
According to The Levels of Technology Implementation (LoTi) Framework by Dr. Chris Moersch, I am not near as advanced as the other scales. I am in level 3 – Infusion stage. Students use digital tools and resources to carry out my teacher-directed tasks that emphasize higher levels of student processing. The higher levels in 4 Integration are 4a-Mechanical and 4b- Routine. They both involve students being engaged in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems. Then 5- Expansion involves collaborations with other diverse groups. Finally 6- Refinement involves instruction curriculum to be ENTIRELY learner-based. I have mixed feeling on the final level of instruction being entirely learner-based. I feel that there needs to be a balance. Some students benefit and need that direct instruction from teachers.
According to the NETS-Teachers Rubrics, I could be categorized about the same as the other rubrics, levels, scales, etc. I am the upper half, but still have a long way to go. I hope to move up on the scales throughout this course and learn new ideas to actually use in my classroom. I already use delicious.com daily now.
I plan to improve my implementing technology into my classroom by learning and applying my knowledge from this course. I plan to try my best to learn new advancements in technology and carry them over into my classroom. I most need to improve on inquiry based learning with technology to organize and synthesize information. I hope to learn new ideas in this technology course to implement into my curriculum that foster the inquiry-project-based learning method while incorporating technology at the same time.
My strengths in technology are email, WORD, basic Power Points, using a 3-M board, and searching the Internet. Yes, I stretched this as far as I could to have some strengths:) I am now feeling confident with blogs and delicsious.com due to only one week of taking this course.
My weaknesses in technology are learning new things. I am open to this, but just don’t have the time to learn it on my own. I wish the school district would provide the time and professional development to effectively implement our current and new technology in our classrooms.
According to the Hallmarks of an Effective eMINTS Classroom survey, I am proficient to advanced with teacher-facilitated learning, student-centered learning, unique teaching pedagogy and learning strategies to implement standards-based curriculum, community of learners, and assessment of student performance. I am transitional in project-based learning, use of technology for learning, and professional collaboration.
According to Grappling’s technology and learning spectrum, I am in between the adapting uses and transforming uses. I would like to fall into the transforming uses category in the future. I want to be using technology as complex learning and thinking tools, assessment tools, and productivity tools. I most hope that my students will initiate technology uses as they create their own learning experiences learning together.
According to The Levels of Technology Implementation (LoTi) Framework by Dr. Chris Moersch, I am not near as advanced as the other scales. I am in level 3 – Infusion stage. Students use digital tools and resources to carry out my teacher-directed tasks that emphasize higher levels of student processing. The higher levels in 4 Integration are 4a-Mechanical and 4b- Routine. They both involve students being engaged in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems. Then 5- Expansion involves collaborations with other diverse groups. Finally 6- Refinement involves instruction curriculum to be ENTIRELY learner-based. I have mixed feeling on the final level of instruction being entirely learner-based. I feel that there needs to be a balance. Some students benefit and need that direct instruction from teachers.
According to the NETS-Teachers Rubrics, I could be categorized about the same as the other rubrics, levels, scales, etc. I am the upper half, but still have a long way to go. I hope to move up on the scales throughout this course and learn new ideas to actually use in my classroom. I already use delicious.com daily now.
I plan to improve my implementing technology into my classroom by learning and applying my knowledge from this course. I plan to try my best to learn new advancements in technology and carry them over into my classroom. I most need to improve on inquiry based learning with technology to organize and synthesize information. I hope to learn new ideas in this technology course to implement into my curriculum that foster the inquiry-project-based learning method while incorporating technology at the same time.
week 1 discussion - Jacquie Bussen
Technology influences my classroom on a daily basis. I have a classroom telephone, teacher computer, student computer, laptop, interactive 3-M board, and projector that connect to 3-M board. I use technology at least every hour. If our Internet is down, I go through withdrawals! I am still learning the 3-M board because we have had no training on it. As a new grade level teacher, I am overwhelmed, but I am using it daily. I pull up worksheets on the 3-M from our math program, we listen/view to books online, we play math, reading, etc. games in our free time, etc. My students LOVE to use the interactive pen.
I also allow my autistic student to use the student computer daily. He is very non-compliant, but when the computer is involved, he will do anything! The document camera projector (I think that is what it is called) we just received last week. We can lay a book, student work, etc. down on the desk and it projects it on the 3-M board. I think I will use it a lot in writing to share student examples! Again, no training causes me to slowly learn it on my own.
I really liked the idea of Inspired Classrooms. It would truly transform education. We are all active participants, but this would allow students to really be active in his/her learning. We are living in a new generation with I-pods, DS, x-box, etc. I feel exhausted at the end of each day, but if I was more of a facilitator, I think that the learning would flow more easily in the classroom with students learning from each other and together collaboratively. As usual, the cost is a huge downfall. Real world applications are so important and integrating technology because our world is turning digital can only do this. I also learned to pay more attention to my objectives that I am teaching regardless if it involves technology. I always say at the beginning off an each lesson, “Today I am going to teach you…” I will pay close attention to using objectives and not tools in my teaching points. The classroom wikis, blogs, and podcasts were all new to me. I have never learned about these aspects of classroom technology. I am embarrassed to say this, but I have to teach GLEs (grade level expectations) and prove this to my principal. I am not able to link all of my classroom lessons to outside world knowledge. I do what I can, but it sadly isn’t top priority. The sad thing is that a lot of what I assess doesn’t matter after I grade it, but I have to teach it and grade it for our standard based report cards.
I LOVE using delicious.com in my classroom. I organized all of the websites we use by different tabs. I am quite the organizational freak…I am a little OCD. This allows me to be organized online now too! I added the online timer links and found another one that I like http://www.online-stopwatch.com/large-stopwatch/. I currently use one all the time in my classroom that I have with my 3-M board program. I use this with my autistic student because he has major difficulties transitioning. I have found that it is an effective tool for all of my students so I will continue to use this as much as possible!
The information with cooperative and collaborative learning is quite honestly the most common trend that is being pushed in my district. We are implementing new curriculum that involves cooperative and collaborative learning in all aspects! We have a new spelling program that is leveled with different words for the different groups to learn together on their levels. We have whole group and partnerships in reading and writing workshop, and math groups. I have a sheet with partners or groups for each subject that I teach. Each student has roles. I have posters with jobs, talking points, rules, etc. I have specific places in the room that each group/partnership meet and sit on the carpet. There is no room for confusion in my cooperative/collaborative teaching times (I have learned this the hard way throughout this year/my first year in 3rd grade)! I do not grade on group work, because our report card is standard based.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
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