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My Portfolio!

Welcome to my digital portfolio! Here are my thoughts throughout the semester and all of the projects that I have worked on. There are blogs on Non Linear Power Points, Pod Casts, Copyright, Photo Shop and More! Click on links, read about the programs I learned about and enjoy!

Picture Using Picnik

Don't we look like we are from the 60's!?

Reflection

I found this class to be helpful and interesting. I am not a tech savvy person but the way things were explained in this class made it easy for me to learn. I made my own blog and website, something I thought I would never do! The programs that were chosen were useful as well. I enjoyed Picnic and Photoshop the most. I learned more how technology can be used in the classroom from websites to encyclopedias. I thought that Google was the best source for students to look up information until I learned about the Students Encyclopedia. There are great articles and information on all subjects for students to look at. I also liked learning about Nonlinear Power Point. I am used to creating power points with slides that go from one to the next. Nonlinear Power Points make the presentation fun and interesting using buttons. I learned great things from this class that I will use in my classroom!

            Learning how to use so many recourse's is so important, especially in the classroom. As much as text books are great, technology can make the classroom that much better. Smart boards are a great invention that most schools have. I would have like to learn more about Smart boards but the topics that we did learn about are also going to help me. Digital Stories are fun and easy to use. In my classroom, I will use the digital story program asking students to record themselves instead of read to each other. Students lose interest easily, but with technology and recourse's such as the digital stories, students will be intrigued. I am excited that I learned about new programs and to apply them into my classroom!

Computer Delusion

Technology: Good or Bad? I don’t think you can say that technology is completely one way or the other; I think it is a mix in the classroom. We have come so far in our classrooms using smart boards, Google, Internet Encyclopedias etc. It has become so easy for us to look something up if we don’t know the answer, to pull up a visual for students or to play an educational video right from the computer. But, can we live without a computer and technology in the classroom? Yes, but it would be hard. Truth is, computers have not always been in the classroom and people actually learned from text books (gasp). It’s not that text books are bad or not useful anymore, it’s just that they are out of date for subjects that can be taught in such a better way. Instead of having students read about Africa in a text book and expect them to connect to the issues happening there, we can use technology to play a video of starving children in Africa. The video provides a visual for students and allows them to connect with the faces in the video. There are also more updated statistics on the Internet than there would be in a text book.

            Most schools have computers in the classrooms or have a computer lab for students to use. However, there are schools that do not have computers and they are doing fine. Students need to learn how to write before they learn how to type! Many adults rely on computers to write and spell check for them and cannot write themselves. Students need to know how to make letters correctly and spell words correctly, all things the computer can do for you. Typing classes should be in high school, not Elementary or Middle School where students writing is not completely developed. I think technology is important for students to learn, especially because of the jobs that will be offered when they go for a job, but for now, learning to read and write, technology is not crucial for them to have in the everyday classroom.

ICONN

It is great to learn about new tools that can be used. ICONN is a tool that I have never heard of or used and found that it would be helpful for me to use as a teacher. Instead of researching articles or books, it is an easy tool to use to do the work for you. It is also great that it is free. There are many great websites for teachers to use but they ask you to pay for them. As a teacher, I am turned off when I am asked for my credit card. Teachers pay for so much to go into their classroom, subscribing to a website is one more thing that we should not have to pay for. As a teacher, we should be up to do date on current events to discuss with students and ICONN is great for current topics.

            Junior Worldmark Encyclopedias are great for students and they are simple for students to understand. There are a lot of articles on science and literature with great visuals for students. It is easy for students to Google information however websites that do not apply to their search often pop up. Allowing students to use Encyclopedias for information is fun and safe for everyone. I will use this in my classroom for students to research information or just because they want to!

Problem Solving

Growing up it was difficult for me to problem solve, especially in math. I felt that I was never taught properly how to complete a problem and it was frustrating. Now, as a teacher, I always go over the problems over and over making sure that everyone understands. It is important to pull apart a problem and then put it back together. A problem can have many different questions in one, making it difficult for the student to grasp what the question is asking. There is a Big 6 model that can help students: 1. Define the task 2. Information Seeking Strategies 3. Location and Access 4. Use of Information 5. Synthesis 6. Evaluation. Problem solving comes easier for adults which as teachers we need to remember. Problem solving is important for students to learn academically and socially. Problem solving is important so we need to take our time and make sure that everyone understands what is being taught.

Put Your Cell Phones Away

In school, all I ever heard was "turn off your cell phones". It was natural for me as a student to put my cell phone away until the bell rang. I would sneak a text message in when the teacher wasn't looking or check my e-mail at lunch, but never would I be on my cell phone during the class. If students had cell phones out during class, tachers could kick them out. THey were thought of as distractions. Today, cell phones can be helpful during school. Students can find out answers to questions and learn more about a topic that is being taught. I can see where the teacher is coming from but I also know that cell phones will be more of a distraction then useful. Students can go on facebook and twitter while the teacher thinks they are looking up something that has to do with the class. It is easy for students to close out of the tab that they were on if the teacher asks to see what they are looking at. Computers are expensive for schools, however I don't think that having students take their cell phones out is good. It can also be a sticky situation for teachers to give out their personal numbers to students and teachers. After school hours are done, a student or parent should only contact teachers through the school or through email. I don't think calling a teachers cell phone is appropriate. Not all students have cell phones that have internet access which can make them feel left out. I think classroom computers is fine for students and cell phones should not be used in the classroom.

Digital Divide

I found this article very interesting to read, especially since I work in a high priority school. Drilling is NOT the way to get children to learn, especially from a computer. A teacher's voice, facial expression and attitude when teaching students is the key to their success. Anyone can sit in front of a computer and do what the computer is telling them, but how many are going to learn from what they are doing? Do the students feel cared about? Just because the students are in a high priority school doesn't mean they shouldn't get the same resources as students in the next district over. I think children learn best is when they feel that the teacher cares about them and when they are being listened to, both things a computer can't do.

Inspiring through Inspiration

Students more and more have different ways of learning. Many students are visual learners and can better understand what they are learning by seeing it. Inspiration is a software that allows students to visualize concepts being taught to them. A teacher sitting in the front of the classroom reading from a text book doesn't work for students. A student learns by doing and Inspiration helps them. Students are able to add icons, create maps of their ideas and out line students ideas. Inspiration acts as a "game" instead of a web of ideas that confuse students. It also helps students be creative in their work by having the option to choose images to trigger their memory. Students being allowed to use the computer is fun for them, it is something that they are not allowed to do everyday. Doing something different besides using a paper and pencil is fun and gets students ready to work. Inspiration is great for students and fun for the class to see what their classmates have made using Inspiration. It allows students to be creative while learning, which will make for better projects and understanding of a lesson.

Rappers Delight

My partner Allison and I did a project on Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" . Instead of reading the poem as a voice over, we rapped it. Adding pictures to the poem was fun and a good visual for students. We thought it would be fun to rap the poem becuase we were trying to be creative. I think this is great for students to do in the classroom on a book or poem that they like to share with the class. Voice overs can be fun for students to use in the classroom, and different from asked to read a book to themselves.

Non Linear Power Point

I think the non-linear power point is a great idea to use in the classroom. Power points have been used in the classroom for years where students create one, present it to the class showing one slide at a time. I'm happy to see that there is a different way to show a project with fun buttons for students to use. Non-linear power points can be fun for students to be creative in their projects, giving "right" and "wrong" buttons to their projects. Powerpoints can be boring and now, students can create projects that are more like games then work. I think this is great for students!

Jigsaw Planet

I picked this GREAT website Jigsaw Planet, for my web 2.0. Jigsaw Planet allows students to upload their own pictures, words etc. and the website then breaks it into puzzle form. The student will then try to put their picture back together. This is great for all grades. You can adjust how many puzzle pieces you want, according to the grade. This helps students with all types of learning needs. Puzzles are a fun, academic task that teachers can use to help their students learn and problem solve in the classroom.
        Web 2.0 allows users to interact with information allowing anyone to create websites and share resources. If you like to share information with other people, create a Wiki just like i did with Jigsaw Planet. It's easy for anyone to use, teachers and students. A wiki can be great for many reasons. In my school, we are learning about Mammals. There are teachers who have developed a wiki with links and pictures of mammals for the students to click on. Students can look at the information and create their own with pictures that they have found and access their wiki from home. A wiki can also be used instead of a class website! If there is important information that a teacher would like to show their students, it can be shared on the wiki. You can add pictures, text and links to the wiki for students to check and share.

 

Copy Cat

Copy write in the classroom can be tricky. Can I post this? Can I not post this? Who knows what the rules are until you actually read them! Copy write can be difficult to understand, especially if a teacher wants to put a cute character up on their school blog. Of course we are taught not to plagiarize, to cite when needed and to give all credit to where the source came from. But what is ok to post and what is not ok? What we need to know is: If you didn't discover it, it's not yours. What do you do when you want to use someone else's work? Contact that person or company! Sounds like a pain but better then getting caught for using someone else's work!

Inquiry Based Teaching=SUCCESS

The first time I learned about Inquiry Based Teaching, I was CONFUSED. I didn't understand what I was supposed to be doing, how it worked and how I would go about teaching it. Not until I get a hands on experience with inquiry based teaching in the classroom did I understand what do. Ironic. Inquiry based teaching is great for students, especially in today's classroom. Not all students learn the same way therefore demonstrating, allowing students to figure the problem out on their own and working in small groups is a great way for students to learn. The classroom isn't so rigid anymore, which is a relief to me, as a teacher. I think hands on activities and getting to the root of the problem is interesting for the student and allows them to find a deeper meaning in what they are studying. Handouts are OUT! Hands on activities are IN! In my classroom I would try to have it inquiry based in all possible activities. Science is a great way to get students involved. I would like to take an issue in science, such as water clean up, and have the students investigate ways they could help to make our waters cleaner. I would want them to write a proposal and carry it out all the way until the teacher acts as a judge approving or disapproving their plan. Students need to have fun while learning and inquiry based learning is a great way to get students ready to learn!

Photo Shop

  

We used photo shop during this class. I layered pictures (the lion isn't real!!) to show that you can edit pictures to make them interesting. This program can be used in the classroom for flyers and creating projects. A class picture from a trip to the Bronx Zoo can be inserted in the background of the Zoo for parents to see on a flyer that is sent home. This program is also a great program for visual learners. An icon can help students better understand what the question is asking them. Photo Shop is another way to have fun in the classroom! 

Act It Out in groups! Grasshopper, Sun, Ant

Act It Out!

Last week we got into groups and performed living art. It was a great way to understand what was happening in pictures that were taken and the story behind them. This is great to use in the classroom! Children acting out plays, working with each other and being creative is a great way to get students involved. Acting out as animals such as myself (the grasshopper) is fun to position yourself or friends to make the picture come to life. This is a great addition to readers theater. Instead of having students read lines in a play and perform for the class, allowing them to perform living art in groups is more creative and exciting for students. Acting lets the students work together and has them to think outside the box. Act It Out! 

George!

Kathy's Blog

I liked Kathy's blog because of the different technology devices that she posted about. I remember buying my first laptop when I went to college and there were so many problems with it! I regret not taking Kathy's advice on buying a laptop through the University I attended. If I had bought my laptop through my University, IT would be more able to help me with the problems. The devices she talked about made me want to go out and buy them (if only I had money). I also found it interesting that she was a teacher and now gives seminars in her retirement on education technology. I give her credit for being an older woman so knowledgable in advanced technology. 

Standards

For this class, I would like to focus my research and development of projects on Literacy for Elementary age children. I think that literacy is the core foundation for education because not only is it the most needed skill in the world, it is the most important. To be able to learn and expand on knowledge in other areas, one needs to be literate. Teaching literacy is a very difficult task and I would hope in this class I can discover ways to help students learn how to read through advanced technology.

Teddy Bears

I think this way of "pen paling" is a great idea! What a way to get students excited to write! Students some times feel that they are just writing to please their teacher or because they "have to", not because they enjoy it. Getting a Bear-o-gram is like getting e-mail for students. Not only will they be excited to read what their partner is writing to them, they will be excited to respond to them. I also like that the website provides the template for the students, therefore they do not get confused of frustrated when designing their website. It is great that students are taking the initiative to work at home to write to their partner. Students taking work home with them is really showing that they are enjoying what they are doing. It also allows students to communicate with students from other countries, ask questions and learn about other cultrues. As long as students are monitored on blogging sites, I think it's a great idea!

MP3 Article

This is an interesting article about education and technology. I am the oldest of 4 siblings 2 of which are in high school and one in middle school and I am amazed at what they are coming home with. Yes there are still books that my siblings are reading, however, there are a lot of electronic articles that they need to read. When i was in school, computers were not mandatory and very few students had their own. Now, if a student does not have a house computer let alone their own computer, it would be impossible for them to do their work. I understand that technology is important and students should be using it as much as they can, however what is wrong with hand writing homework? However, there are advantages that students have over students that went to school 10 years ago. Being able to gather information when you want it is something that was not happening 10 years ago. Students have access to  any questions they have when using the internet. I don't think books will ever stop being published but I do think that electronic education will be greater as the years go on.