Tool 11: Self Assessment



1.  There are sooo many wonderful web tools that I am loving right now AND looking forward to incorporating into my classroom this year.  I really am excited to use Twitter in class, as well as Voki.  I think Voki is a wonderful web tool that students can use to show prior knowledge about a skill and new knowledge.  I would definitely use Voki in groups, this way all students would be accountable for showing what they have learned.  This is a tool that I want to use at the beginning of the year when going over classroom procedures. 

2.  I don't really feel like I will have to "transform" my vision about my classroom and incorporating technology into lessons because that was something I tried to do last year.  I want to focus on purpose this year.  What will be the purpose of the technology in my lessons?  How will using these web tool, technology equipment, and collaboration devices support what my students are learning?  Will the use of these things hinder or enhance my students learning?  These are questions that I want to focus on this year, and this is how I will transform my classroom.

3.  Unexpected outcomes:
-I really enjoyed looking through all the web tools!
-Loved keeping a blog!!
-had time to plan for next year while working through these 11 tools.  

Had a great time! Ciao!!

Tool 10: Digital Citizenship

1. Three Things I would ensure my students understand about being good digital citizens:

• selecting credible sources; knowing how to conduct research and use information properly
• Communicate and collaborate with peers/teachers in a productive way
• navigating the Internet in a safe way
• respecting boundaries: plagiarism and system blocks

2.  I think I would use Atomic Learning to teach students about digital citizenship.  These videos clearly explain ideas presented and they would be easy for students to follow. 

3. Model, Model, Model.  One of the things that I appreciated on the Cool Cat Teacher blog was quote from another colleague: "We have to practice what we preach, and we have to practice it out loud."
We can not assume that our students "know" how to navigate through the web in a safe and respectful way, they have to be shown that.  Before diving into the web for anything, I would spend time showing students my thinking process and how one should navigate the web in a courteous way.

4.  Not only is it important for students to be good digital citizens, it's important for parents to know!  Letting my parents in on what their students are learning is very important.  I would like to share this through a classroom news letter and through my classroom website.  I would love to post the Atomic Learning videos on my site, therefore making them accessible for parents.

Ciao!

Tool 9: Incorporating Classroom Devices

1.  I think it's important to tie technology to objectives because it's a way to differentiate for the students.  Technology takes skills, lessons, objectives to the next level.  It's a way for students to take away a bit more from a lesson than they might normally take away.  Technology engages students, and it allows them to express their thinking in a different way. 

2.  In all things classroom, accountability is key!  Whether technology is being used or not, teachers expect students to be accountable for what they are doing in their classroom, so when it comes to setting up stations/centers using technology, students DEFINITELY need to be held accountable.  Breaking/damaging a pencil is not the same as breaking/damaging an IPad.  Teachers should maybe plan to have a lesson: How to use technology properly. Through this lesson, teachers can go over what students are accountable for and what expectations will be through out the station/center process.  Ultimately, the station/center is there to supplement a previously taught skill.  Students are not going through the station "for the fun of it."  With that in mind, students need to be accountable for their own learning while at the station.

3.  I think Thinkfinity is an excellent site that offers a variety of fun games focusing on different Literacy skills.  I also really liked TESiboard because it allows for students to have the option of using the interactive whiteboard in their station.  With both of these sites, students can work in different stations to review skills throughout a six weeks.  If using this at the end of a six weeks to review for an exam, teachers could give students a graphic organizer/q & a/cloze exercise to fill out as they go through the stations. This could be a way to keep students accountable as they go through the stations.  Teachers could also give students a scavenger hunt type activity to work on as they go through the stations that would allow students to create some sort of product at the end of the rotation.  These are all ways teachers could keep students accountable when working with stations.

4.  CartoonStdio:  this could be a station where students create a cartoon that explains what they have learned about different skills.  Students would create a cartoon that would be proof of understanding.  Simple and fun!!
*Lino (online stickies):  using a text(s) and the online sticky app, teachers could pose questions about the text at the station and have students respond using an online sticky.  Students could also respond to comments that other students have made about the text(s)
*Twitter:  Since this is basically micro blogging, students could use this station to post their response/comment/question about a text they have just read in class or a text they are reading in the station.  teachers can monitor this station and pose instant questions to students to get conversations going through Twitter. Love it!!
*StoryKit: Students can rewrite classic stories like The Three Little Pigs OR create new stories focusing on using reading and writing skills that they have focused on in class. Great App!!

5.  I can see students using the IPad to do many other things.  Reading ebooks, working on mini group projects, watching online videos in small groups, etc.  The possibilities are endless!!
Ciao!!

Tool 8: Equipment in the Classroom

My classroom will be receiving IPads and Netbooks! (Thank you!!)  Along with the Macbooks that I currently have (T3 grant), my classroom will have an abundance of technology equipment.  Having used Netbooks before, there are not anything "new" that I learned about them.  The students have also used them, so they will have no problem becoming familiar with them in my classroom.  One thing that I do want to do is wirelessly tie them to a printer.  I do not believe that I can do this with the IPad, but I know as long as there is an available printer, it can be done with the netbook.  I have learned so much about the IPad!!  Being able to bring one home for the summer has been very helpful!  I have discovered so many useful apps, and I have had an opportunity to play with some of the applications I have come across.  I have also learned that the IPad is a useful "web browsing" tool.  It's not meant to be used as a computer (storage purposes), so I am thankful that the students will have access to Google Docs.  This will allow students to successfully use the IPad as they would a Macbook.  I am excited to plan out ways to use all of the technology equipment that I have been given.  It's going to be a fabulous year!! Ciao!

Tool 7: Online Digital Project

1.  Content Objective: Given a Traditional tale, Skype, and Google Docs, the student will rewrite their own version of a traditional tale with two partners from the other Language Arts classes.

2.  Implementation: 6th Six Weeks: Rewrite of a Traditional Tale

3.  Tools Used: Computer, IPad, or netbook; Skype and Google Docs; Traditional Tale of the groups choosing

4.  Description:  During the 6th six weeks, the students will be rewriting a traditional tale.  Instead of doing this with a partner or small group in the same class, the student will have the opportunity to select a partner from each of the other Language Arts classrooms.  Through the use of Skype and Google Docs, the group will collaborate on the rewrite and discuss the entire story through the use of the webtools.  Rough drafts, revising and editing, and final drafts will all be done this way.  Each student will be given a rubric to follow to ensure they are woorking efficiently and effectively.  Students will then post final drafts on Google Docs and give all three Language Arts teachers viewing rights for grading purposes.

Tool 6: Using Web Tools to Promote Discussion

Lino It is a great site that allows the creator to generate canvases to post stickies.  This is a wonderful way to get conversations started, and it's a great way to find out what students know.  It can be used for exit tickets, small group discussions, as an anticipatory set, etc.  The options are limitless!!  It's also a great way for students to communicate with each other within small groups.  The site does have an IPad App, so it can be used among the students in small groups.  It's a great way for students that may not be too comfortable speaking in front of the class to share their thoughts/findings/answers.  It's AWESOME!!!

NOT ONLY can students add stickies, but they can add video clips and pictures!!! WOW!!!

At the beginning of the summer I decided to create a Twitter account.  Initially, I just wanted a way to get more information about educational technology.  I found myself overwhelmed with information; however, I really appreciated being able to absorb so much in such a small amount of time.  I realized my next step was actually to contribute to all the micro blogs/discussions that were happening before my eyes (Twitter is live; constantly updates) I read a blog, http://tinyurl.com/3t59paw , where the author gave 10 steps that educators new to Twitter could follow.  I had to remind myself that Twitter is nothing more than micro blogs happening at once, and that in order for me to get more collaboration out of it, I was going to need to contribute to the conversations.  This is a great way to get students involved in what is going on in the classroom.  It's a concise way (150 characters or so per tweet) for students to get their points across, and it can be used just as Lino It could be.  Since it also has group options, students could only partake in particular conversations.  I'm still contemplating how to use this wonderful social media tool in my classroom, but I found a blog that could point me in the right direction!
http://tinyurl.com/6fe6tvs

Ciao!

Tool 5: Using Web 2.0 Tools to Produce

Go Animate:

http://goanimate.com/movie/0of_rPkAWv9A?utm_source=linkshare&uid=0Nzgy9RJWcVs

This web tool is a great way to get students to show you what they know or what they have learned.  It's a video creator that allows students to create conversations between characters.  It's a really fun, engaging way to get students to review skills.  It could also be a way for them to present new information to their classmates.  The only thing I don't like about Go Animate is that it does not allow you to save your videos to anything outside of the website.  You must purchase Go Bucks (currency on web tool) to be able to download your video; however, you can save it to your online account. 

I also think Tagxedo is an excellent Word Cloud generator.

Unlike Wordle, this generator allows the creator to take a web page, a document, a blog, or a short slogan and generate a word cloud.  It also allows you to create an image out of the word cloud.  The images range from simple shapes, like hearts and stars, to the face of President Lincoln.  AMAZING!!!  Students could revise and edit a paper using this tool because it takes the words most repeated and increases their size.  Students could see what words or phrases are used most often and edit variation using this simple tool.  The possibilities are endless!! Ciao!

Tool 4: Google Docs

Google Docs is fascinating!! Earlier this summer, I had the pleasure of sharing some of my technology findings to a lovely group of teachers during the Summer Tech U professional development session.  I had absolutely NO IDEA what I had gotten myself into, but with the help of some very wise colleagues, I made it through.  During one of my planning sessions, I was shown how to use Google docs.  Angela McNeil walked me through the basics, and she had me create a simple document that she edited.  I was amazed to see how EASY and FAST the entire process was.  As soon as I walked out of the help session, the tiny wheels in my head began to turn.  How can I use this in my Language Arts class?  How could I use it with my team? How could I use it for my PD session?  I decided to start with the event that was right around the corner....the PD session.  I decided to use a basic document to get my information out.  I knew that I did not want to have to make copies and waste paper, so why not give out an electronic version.  I made my document, gave it a title (the one that matched my PD description) and I entered to email addresses of all the wonderful teachers that had signed up for my session.  I was amazed that they really seemed to appreciate getting an electronic copy.  I even had a few teachers ask me if I could go back in regularly and update it with new web tools.  I new right away that Google docs would be replacing many sheets of paper in my classroom. 

I am still thinking about how I want to truly incorporate it in my classroom, but I know how I would like to use it with my team.  I think using Google docs would make planning a cinch! We could all add to our planning guides while we discuss all the wonderful things that are going to happen in out classroom. It would truly be a collaboration of the minds!

Tool 3: Video Component

I LOOOOVVVEEE using videos in my classroom.  I feel students appreciate the content just a little bit more when given an engaging video to view.  Teachers can only talk/share/model for so long, and students will only pay attention for so long.  Using video gives both parties a "break" and it sometimes can help clarify content to confused students. 

United Streaming through Discovery Education is my go-to when it comes to great videos.  There is an abundance of information in this site, and the videos are quite interesting, even for students.  One of my favorites is the Discovering Language Arts series.  It really gives great information about different skills in Language Arts.

I also love using Youtube.  There are so many clips that I love to use to teach different skills.  One of my favorites is a clip from the Legend of Sleepy Hollow.  The short clip really helps students understand different types of Figurative Language: flashback, personification, foreshadowing, etc.  Being able to have access to these different video sites is wonderful!  Students and teachers get to experience the wonders of video in an educational way.

Ciao!

Tool 2: Building a PLN

Like with all things new, I felt incompetent at first.  I always hesitate to comment on blogs/tweets/emails because when commenting, you want people to gain something from what you say.  This is not always the case, but what I learned from creating my PLN and signing up for different NINGs and Blogs, was that the entire thing is a learning process.  I love the fact that we are all learning about these web tools together.  It's great to see a community of teachers come together and explore.  I am excited to begin this new adventure in online communities, and I look forward to having  my own group of "followers" one day. 

As I hunted around for different blogs to follow, I turned to my bookmark list.  I have bookmarked so many wonderful blogs through Twitter, and even though I may not be much of a tweeter YET (I stress the word "yet" b/c I strive to be an excellent "techie" one day soon....haha) , the abundance of learning material is wonderful.  I get excited knowing that I have saved a jewel of information and I can always come back to it in my bookmarks.  BUT...then I created a Google Reader account, and things just got better from there!  Not only can I save my jewels of information, but I get live updates!!! Unbelievable!!! People always say technology is great....as long as you know HOW to use it.  I'm so glad this process is allowing us to LEARN how to use these wonderful web tools!!

Some cool sites that I like that you may want to hunt around on:

 -Apps in Education
-Free Technology for Teachers
-The Educator's PLN
Justin Tarte-Life of an Educator

Ciao!