Here is my final "tools" blog post! It has been a great learning experience for me these past few days to acquire all of these useful 21st century tools. I am eager to put them into use and to share my knowledge with others!
My favorite tool of all has to be the iPhone, now that I found the 50 free educational apps website. The apps like Alphabet Tracing and Number Sense would be so useful to my classroom! The kids would be able to learn to write their letters in a fun interactive (non-messy) way, and they would be able to learn to count through entertaining but educational games. If I get an iPod Touch or iPhone, I would connect it to the classroom projector, and definitely put these apps into use.
Learning about all these tools has also helped me transform my thinking about the learning that will take place in my classroom. I realize that our world is so...digital now. It really is necessary to keep up, or else I'll be left in the dust! I found that technology can really promote education in so many ways.
There were many unexpected outcomes in this program that surprised me, including finding out that a product such as an iPod touch could be connected to a classroom projector. That still amazes me!!! I was also surprised to have learned so so much. I definitely expected to learn, as my technology knowledge was very limited before I started this tool program, but not to the extent that I did.
I really appreciate this program!!!!
Now, on to the assessment!!
Friday, June 18, 2010
Tool #11: Digital Citizenship
Digital citizenship is highly important to maintain throughout any moment in which the internet is used. As a teacher, I would want my students to understand that
1) It is necessary to evaluate how we are using technology,
2) It is important to maintain good digital citizenship and responsibility with actions on the internet, and
3) It is important not to plagiarize material by copy and pasting from resources and claiming the writing as one's own.
I would teach the idea of digital citizenship to students by relating their cyber-actions to their real-life actions--being a good citizen is pervasive throughout the cyber world and the real world.
1) It is necessary to evaluate how we are using technology,
2) It is important to maintain good digital citizenship and responsibility with actions on the internet, and
3) It is important not to plagiarize material by copy and pasting from resources and claiming the writing as one's own.
I would teach the idea of digital citizenship to students by relating their cyber-actions to their real-life actions--being a good citizen is pervasive throughout the cyber world and the real world.
Tool #10: Exploring Apps
Using a classroom projector, the iPod Touch can become a portal to various educational programs. I just found that out today! Who know that such a little device could be used in the classroom effectively?
The only Apple device that I own is an iPod...and this is the first generation, first ever iPod mini. So basically, it's from the Stone Age hahaha. My daughter has the newest iPod nano, but I have no idea how to work it. So my knowledge of Apple products is very limited.
I read today about various free education apps for the iPhone and the iPod Touch, and found out that they had something called "Alphabet Tracing." In the schoolyear, I created a LOT of worksheets about forming letters, which worked, but having an app such as this one that I found would be so much easier!! It's basically perfect for the pre-K classroom, where learning to write the alphabet is essential.
Another great free app that I found was "Number Sense," which teaches kids to count through fun and interactive games. Using this would be a great class activity, as another pre-K essential is learning to count!
The only Apple device that I own is an iPod...and this is the first generation, first ever iPod mini. So basically, it's from the Stone Age hahaha. My daughter has the newest iPod nano, but I have no idea how to work it. So my knowledge of Apple products is very limited.
I read today about various free education apps for the iPhone and the iPod Touch, and found out that they had something called "Alphabet Tracing." In the schoolyear, I created a LOT of worksheets about forming letters, which worked, but having an app such as this one that I found would be so much easier!! It's basically perfect for the pre-K classroom, where learning to write the alphabet is essential.
Another great free app that I found was "Number Sense," which teaches kids to count through fun and interactive games. Using this would be a great class activity, as another pre-K essential is learning to count!
Tool #9: Using Jing and Skype
I've used Skype many times before to talk to relatives in distant countries, but I have never heard of Jing. It turns out that with this program, I am able to create a video on actions I take in a computer and replay it! This is great in order to show how to carry out something on the computer. Jing could help my kids learn about computer processes in an easier way.
As I said before, I've used Skype to contact relatives in other countries, so I think that it would be a great idea to establish contact with another group of pre-K students in another district or even country. We could learn about their lifestyle, and how different but similar they are to us! It would be a great learning opportunity.
Describing how great Skype is really involves just mentioning that you are able to have real-time communication with someone while actually seeing them on your computer screen. It's like having a conversation with the person--as if they were right in front of you!
I know that in the next schoolyear, I'll put these tools into use!
As I said before, I've used Skype to contact relatives in other countries, so I think that it would be a great idea to establish contact with another group of pre-K students in another district or even country. We could learn about their lifestyle, and how different but similar they are to us! It would be a great learning opportunity.
Describing how great Skype is really involves just mentioning that you are able to have real-time communication with someone while actually seeing them on your computer screen. It's like having a conversation with the person--as if they were right in front of you!
I know that in the next schoolyear, I'll put these tools into use!
Tool #8: Using Video Resources
Throughout the year, I've been actively using online videos on TeacherTube to improve my teaching methods. I was a first year teacher, so I felt that seeing others teach their own students to count, for example, would help me a lot--and it did! But today while completing this tool I decided to try Youtube for kid-friendly videos that I would be able to show in class, and that would really facilitate the learning process.
I found out that Sesame Street had its own official Youtube channel, which is definitely a plus! They have great videos that show kids the alphabet and counting. Here are two that I especially found useful.
I found out that Sesame Street had its own official Youtube channel, which is definitely a plus! They have great videos that show kids the alphabet and counting. Here are two that I especially found useful.
Tool #7: Digital Storytelling
I got to make a photo story! The prospect of this was quite frightening, actually--it sounded really hard to me. But, I just followed the step by step instructions that the Photo Story Microsoft software gave, and it turned out to be easy and fun to create! I strung together pictures of the last few weeks my students and I had in class, where we celebrated Go Texan day and got to visit the zoo. I then added background music from the Sample Music that the Windows Vista program provides. Since I was nervous about copyright infringement, I checked online, and all of the sample music Windows provides is actually not copyrighted. Good to know, hahaha.
Watching my photo story again really made me nostalgic!! The memories are so lovely :-)
Now that I know how to make photo stories, I will definitely create them during the school year, especially before breaks or holidays. I know that the kids would love reliving the memories!
Watching my photo story again really made me nostalgic!! The memories are so lovely :-)
Now that I know how to make photo stories, I will definitely create them during the school year, especially before breaks or holidays. I know that the kids would love reliving the memories!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Tool #6: Wikis
I learned about wikis today. At first, when I saw the title of this tool, I thought I had absolutely no idea what wikis were, and that I hadn't ever used one. I was wrong on both counts. I use Wikipedia daily to access information, and (this is pretty obvious from its name) it is a wiki! :-)
Wikis are great for students--they can share ideas, information, stories...basically anything. And of course, peer to peer learning and sharing promotes active learning overall! Viewing the sample wikis on the 11 tools page sidebar, I definitely accumulated some ideas for my students next year--I am definitely considering creating a project involving daily word reflections and wikis!
For my school team or department, wikis are going to turn out to be so useful in sharing important classroom information, like necessities for a field trip or activities for the students.
Wikis are great for students--they can share ideas, information, stories...basically anything. And of course, peer to peer learning and sharing promotes active learning overall! Viewing the sample wikis on the 11 tools page sidebar, I definitely accumulated some ideas for my students next year--I am definitely considering creating a project involving daily word reflections and wikis!
For my school team or department, wikis are going to turn out to be so useful in sharing important classroom information, like necessities for a field trip or activities for the students.
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