11 Tools Reflections

My favorite tools for students are: digital storytelling and videos. Digital storytelling is a great way to synthesize information we've learned, also it could be an alternate way of publishing their books. Fun!

I think I CAN effectively use a variety of technologies in my classroom. I always knew I needed to use more, but didn't know what or how. I feel like I have a great launching pad and a lot of room to grow.

I was surprised by how much technology there is!!!! and what it can do!!! Wow.

Tool #11 - Digital Citizenship

I really like the way Cool Cat Teacher spells out the 4 areas: Literacy, safety, learning strategies, and etiquette. I want to address each of these areas with my students and like she said on her blog, the most effective way for students to learn the areas of digital citizenship is, model, model, model. As we use each tool we will go over proper uses of the tool (what is this tool for?) We will have discussions on how to become a more effective learner and evaluate information, videos and images. As we create videos etc. I will be sure to communicate copyright laws to the students and explain the purpose of copyright. Finally as we present or use Skype to communicate with others we will be sure to show the kind and courteous behavior we practice day to day in the classroom. Finally, as the students learn to make accounts and share information on blogs we will emphasize SAFETY. We will also communicate these things with the parents via meetings, newsletters...

Tool #10 Exploring Mobile Technology and Apps

1. I downloaded 3 free apps to my Iphone so I could play with them and experience what they where like. My favorite one was called Find Sums. As a Kinder teacher I would introduce it later in the second semester once the students have had experience making sets to ten and using a ten frame. They will also need to recognize the corresponding numerals to 10. This game reenforces these concepts. The top part has a ten frame and the bottom has number tiles. If you press the number 5 five red apples appear. You have to think: How many more apples to make 10? Then click another 5. Five green apples appear and those tiles will disapear. Continue with another number combination that makes 10 until all of the tiles have been used.



2. I've had an Iphone since May of this year and I love it. I am amazed at what it can do. As far as "educational games" are concerned I like playing Words With Friends with my brother and my mom. The IPhone is also very user friendly and interactive. I can definitely envision students working with Ipod Touches in the classroom.



3. I plan on using the Ipod Touches to extend skills learned. The key will be finding lots of good aps. I currently have Tetris and Labyrinth which work on spacial awareness and motor control, the afore mentioned math Ap, and a reader that reads books to you in English, (although the read alouds on the Scholastic Website are better). For starters students in my classroom will use them during Bilingual Centers.

Tool #9 Jing and Skype

1. Jing is handy for information sharing without having to create a document. I imagine I will use this tool mostly with other teachers as we plan together. I can't see myself using it with the students as we have a lot of computer basics to cover. For some reason this feels like a more advanced skill. Maybe another teacher will enlighten me though. :)

2. I liked the suggestions to use Skype for read alouds with authors.... Also, since we study different professions and we could call offices and set up Skype conferences for interviews. I agree that it's a good idea to chat with different classes, but I have a lot more questions about that than answers. I did see a lot of enthusiasm about Skype when I read coworkers' blogs so I'm exited to hear their ideas when we meet up in person later this week.

3. I downloaded both Skype and Jing to the work PC. I took a picture of my screen using Jing and emailed the link to my husband just to try it out. It's cool. Skype is having trouble connecting right now, but I have a personal account and I use it to talk to a friend of mine in Germany. Also, a few summers ago I traveled to Spain, Germany and Uganda and used Skype to talk to my family at home. It's really neat to be able to do that. This type of cross-continent connection will be exiting for the students. My biggest question is how do you connect with classes over-seas? And that leads me to the following two questions: What should we discuss and how does it tie into the curriculum? Food for thought. I welcome any comments on this one.

Tool # 8 Part 1The Count & Cookie Monster- Apples

In this video The Count counts to three. It's great for the beginning of the year, 1 to one correspondence and making a set of 3. It could be shown again at the end of the year to introduce the concept of subtraction.

Tool 8 Part 2The Count meets Cookie Monster - Classic Sesame Street

Here they count to 7. These videos are really funny and I expect the kids will be howling. My only concern is that YouTube is blocked by the network. Will it be unblocked? (both of these Sesame Street clips are from You Tube)

Tool #7 - Digital Stories

As I watched the various digital stories on-line, through the blog, I got the idea that you can do pretty much anything with this tool. As I've had the summer to work with these tools and reflect on them afterward I believe the same is true for most of the tools. As I plan on using these tools in the classroom I am thankful for the opportunity to be creative in new ways. I expect the students will enjoy it too. Over the years I've seen their excitement at using the computer, but I have been limited by my lack of knowledge. Now, the sky is the limit!

Having said that, I did get stuck on this tool. I found it overwhelming, and began to feel the pressure of "figuring it out". As all these tools are so new to me, I feel like a student myself and I need to continue to take the time to tinker with them and let them become second nature. I'm sure that as I grow as a learner, it will show in my classroom. I guess that was the point anyway, but what a process!



All tangents aside, I used photostory to create the following video. It is NOT intended to be used as an introduction to triangles. The video mentions, but does not discuss verticies and sides (important prior knowledge for this video). It's purpose is to review and extend thinking about triangles and to connect them to the real world. Also, I intend to have students create videos like it to re-enforce other shapes after having viewed it. If it is their first project with photostory we will create several videos together as a class first, possibly even in small groups with those struggling with their shapes and then present them to the class. Enjoy!

Tool # 6 Wikis

Prior to taking this course I'd never heard of a Wiki. Then, since I began there have been several references to Wiki's. I've been like, "What is a Wiki!?" I told myself to be patient and the day has finally come. I know what a Wiki is! :)

Every year, during our dinosaurs unit, we create a class encyclopedia where students draw a dinosaur of their choice and write some basic information about it such as: name, size, what it eats, etc. After each student creates their info sheet on their dinosaur we could use a Wiki to create our encyclopedia and maybe even share with the rest of the Kinder classrooms. This would help reinforce what they know about their dinosaur, expand their resource base to learn about other dinosaurs, give them valuable experience publishing and enhance their computer and digital learning skills. Sweet!

One of the Wiki's I looked at from the 11tools blog was directed a teachers. There where lists of books by category: early readers, picture books,... That spawned the following idea:
During the first 9 weeks take time after a read aloud to record reflections about a book on a Wiki. eg. 1. The Very Hungary Caterpillar by Eric Carl. I liked this book because... Karlene.
Use TEKS that the class is working on to make comments about the books.
During the second 9 weeks show students how to acess the Wiki and browse for books they might like to read during their library time. Continue adding books as a whole class and provide support to students as they dictate what they wrote in their journal. (I have students keep a journal in the library center where they record what books they've read) In the 3rd 9 weeks release more control to the students and by the 4th 9weeks they should be inputing their own reading information independently.

I'm sure we'll all have more ideas as we go along. Way to go everybody! I love the things I'm reading. :)

Tool #5 - Tagging and Social Bookmarking

I have to say that every day I enjoy this class more. I feel so enriched by the experience! :)

1. Delicious

I really enjoyed exploring the delicious website using the tags. Simply typing in Kindergarten produced tons of resources. I saved 3 websites for now and tagged them with more specific tag so I can find them later. Yey! No more, "Uh, what was that website where we found...?"

Of the websites I browsed I want to share the following: http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?ID=75 It will pop up to a 10 frame activity, which is great, but click on the activities tab and you can search by gradelevel. The site has plenty of interactive math games from counting, to problem-solving, to geometry... Enjoy.

2. Diigo

I'm still waiting to activate my account. :( It's taking them forever to send me a confirmation email. I'll update this post again when I've gotten to explore the site, join some groups... :)

Tool #4 - Google Tools

1. Google Docs.
I really enjoyed watching the video where teacher's shared the ways they used it. I think it will be wonderful for students in the upper grades as they learn to edit and publish! :) In Kinder I think I'll use it the most as a way of working out documents with my team. I created a document where we can keep our team planning minutes. We are among those who send emails back and forth making changes as we share ideas and plan for the next weeks learning. Google Docs will definitely simplify things. :)
2. Google Reader
Google Reader also seems like it will be a very convenient tool for communication with the staff and the growth of my PLN. I'm sure I said this in tool #2 but this blog is something I know I can benefit from all year and not only for the duration of this class. One cool thing I noticed is that you don't necessarily have to past the URL into the share space. You can just click on "Follow" when reading someones blog and find it in Google Reader later. Amazing how it's all connected.

Tool #3 - Image Generators and Mashups

1. I used Big Huge Labs (website) first and created a motivational poster. The photo I used came from Wayne on Flikr.
I'm pretty exited because I think this would be a good tool for exploring what classroom behavior looks like. Generally, as we begin the school year, we review classroom agreements, act them out and draw a picture, but this tool would incorporate MORE visuals, practice collaborating and integration into writing and drum roll please... technology.

I would like to create a gallery on Fliker as a whole class with student input on what sharing, respecting, listening, collaborating, etc. look like. Also, students could take pictures of themselves acting out wanted behavior. As an extension we will create motivational posters (using both class pictures taken and the Flikr gallery), first together, so that they learn the process of creating a poster and titling it, and then in groups of 2 or 3. When posters are complete we can vote on our favorites, print them and hang them in the classroom as reminders of what we expect and want our classroom to look and feel like.

2. I used the comic strip generator on http://www.comicstripgenerator.com/

I chose Abraham Lincoln because we study his life in our Presidents Unit (second semester). This tool could be a good extension or reflection piece to a lesson. Have students think about something that the president might say and write it down. Edit with students for letter sound correspondence, capitals, lower cases and periods. Transfer sentence to comic strip. Print. An extension to that could be to paste comic strip in upper left hand corner of page and write a paragraph telling what you know about Abe Lincoln's life.
Those are just a few ideas I'll have to explore this site some more and see what other characters it has. Also I was wondering if you could sequence these strips into a story. Has anyone done that? Are there any strips in groups, or are they all individual?

Tool # 2: Leaving Coments

1. What are your thoughts about building an online education community and participating in a PLN?
This is a lot of fun. I really enjoyed perusing my coworkers blogs this morning. They are so creative, and have a lot to share. I feel like this blogging community (PLN) will benefit us all as we learn to use it. It seems like a really efficient way to give and recieve information quickly. Here's to more learning!
2. What point stood out to you from the commenting advice?
We as teachers always continue learning and must learn to facilitate student learning including 21st century technology which takes us out of the classroom. I'm just impressed at the vastness of this technology. It's a little scary.
3. What five blogs did you select for your comments? (you may need to come back and add this information later by editing this post.)
Ale and Bloging 101
Teaching to Read
Mrs. Green's Blog Spot
The Rewards for Teaching
Teaching K
Mary's Art Spot

Tool #1: Getting Started in the Classroom

Whew! That was intense! OK. So I've never made an Avitar before and I think it was pretty cool. I really liked being able to change the colors, clothing, hair, body-style etc. I wanted more options, but it was fun. I think that Kinder students would have a blast creating Avitars. We could use them in the begining of school as a way to introduce ourselves. Students create self portrait and write about themselves and then transfer it to an Avitar, record a voice message and present it to the class on the projector. I'm sure after that experience we could use them throught the year to discuss different content areas. As for the blog itself I'm still thinking of an appropriate way to introduce it on a kindergarten level. Any ideas?