I passed!!!

Tool #11

1.  What are your favorite tools you now have in your personal technology toolbox? Briefly describe a particular activity that you will plan for your students using at least one of these new tools.

I have a lot of new favorite tools.  I plan on using Skype to collaborate with other classrooms.  We will also record videos to communicate with Cambodia since they are 12 hours ahead of us.  My favorite tool I created was the response blog that they students will use to have online discussions about books and other academic topics. 

2. How have you transformed your thinking about the learning that will take place in your classroom? How has your vision for your classroom changed? Are you going to need to make any changes to your classroom to accommodate the 21st Century learner?

I am extremely excited about all of the differentiation I can do with technology.  For my GT book study I read Differentiation in Practice.  It was a great book but lacked any technology integration.  I want my students to be comfortable with all different types of technology and use them to push themselves to new levels.  The new technology will create a small shift in my classroom, but it shouldn’t be too much.  I already used a lot of group activities and workstation time.  I will just have more time to use technology during this time. 

3. Were there any unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?

I don’t think I had any surprises.  While there was new information, nothing really blindsided me positively or negatively.  I can’t wait to put all the pieces together and have so much more technology in my classroom. 

Tool #10

1. Discuss at least three things you would want to make sure your students understand about being good digital citizens.

I really want to emphasize digital citizenship with my 4^th graders.  This is an important foundation to lay before they get into middle school.  By using my Response Blog, I will discuss how to comment and interact in a positive way.  I also plan on focusing on copyright laws.  I want students to understand that just because they can google any picture they think of doesn’t mean that they can use that picture in school work.  I plan on having the students collect a lot of pictures to share amongst each other.  I will also model using information you gather in research to write reports and give credit appropriately.  The last thing I really want my students to understand appropriate online behavior.  Cyberbulling exists everywhere and teachers need to educate students on how to handle it just like we have lessons on bullying. 

2. Share at least one of the resources mentioned above or on the Ed Tech website that you plan to use instructionally.

I plan to use all of the resources.  I feel very strongly that I want to use a lot of technology and I want to make sure my students understand what is acceptable and appropriate both in and out of school. 

3. Explain briefly how you would "teach" the idea of digital citizenship to your students.

I plan on modeling good digital citizenship with my students.  I want them to have a clear idea of what is and is not appropriate.  I will utilize all of the online resources and collaborate with other teachers and our librarian to make sure that students are following good digital citizenship. 

4. Explain briefly how you plan to share the idea of digital citizenship with your parents.

I plan to share articles through my personal or team blog with parents about digital citizenship.  I will also discuss with parents during open house.  I feel our school community is emphasizing the importance of digital citizenship all around. 

Tool #9

1. Why do you think it is important to tie the technology to the objective?


In our classrooms, technology should be a vehicle to accomplish the objective, not always the objective itself. While we do have to have some explicit lessons on how to use technology and digital citizenship, technology is really a tool to enhance learning. If my objective is to use double digit multiplication using the lattice method, I can supplement this objective by using the activBoard, watching a video on the lattice method, using a flipchart that covers the steps, and using a flip camera to tape the lesson to create a podcast for further reference. Technology is absolutely tied to this objective!


2. Why should we hold students accountable for the stations/centers?


Students must be held accountable for their learning during stations/centers. We utilize a lot of classroom time to pull small groups, but we need to make sure that the other students are using their time appropriately. This is an area I plan on collaborating with other teachers to make sure I accomplish.


3. Visit 2 of the applicable links to interactive websites for your content/grade level. Which sites did you like? How could you use them as stations? How can you hold the students accountable for their time in these stations?


I plan on using Thinkfinity for math enrichment and Learning Games for Kids for other all subjects. I also use Odyssey for reteaching and enrichment in all areas. I like the programs where you can specifically track each child’s progress so that they take their time on the site. I have dedicated time for students at each station each day with a specific activity assigned. My expectations are very clear and privileges are lost if they do not follow directions.


4. List two to three apps you found for the iPod Touch/iPad that you can use in your classroom. What do you see that station looking like? How can you hold the students accountable for their time in these stations?


I found a really fun app called Stack the States that is perfect for learning the names, capitals, and shapes of each state. I found 2 other apps I’m just learning about. One is Multiplication Genius that helps reinforcement multiplication facts. The other is WordSpy that helps build more extensive vocabulary.


5. What about other ways to use the iPod Touch/iPad? Share another way you can see your students using the device as a station.


I plan on using the iPods and iPads for research as well. In the spring, I do a Texas Roadtrip project where students have to plan going to visit important landmarks across the state. They can use the maps app to map from city to city and use lots of different travel apps to find information about Texas. I feel like the apps help narrow their searches. On a daily basis, I can also use them to watch videos to enhance their learning. I just wish we had some kind of budget to pay for apps. Many of the free apps are not useful in the classroom (i.e. an ABC app that only teaches a PreK’er the alphabet to letter L).

Tool #8

1. After watching the videos/tutorials, list two to three things you learned about the device(s) that will be in your classroom this fall.
iPods and iPads are great for using specific apps to guide student learning. They allow me to create specific activities for each child. I am really excited to use the Netbooks for Video conferencing and Skype. Opening up my classroom globally will offer the students a very unique experience! I plan on using both as classroom workstations in all curricular areas.
2. How do you plan to manage the device(s) in your classroom? Do you have ideas/suggestions that others may find useful?
I plan on having a “job” in my classroom that is in charge of keeping the material organized. I also plan on assigning them to specific students on a rotation during workstation time. The students are so excited to use them that it will not be an issue to incorporate them into the classroom.

My son created a Voki!!!

Tool #7

After visiting the resources above, design a collaborative project with another classroom.

I plan on working with a former classmate of mine that teaches 4th Grade in Cambodia. 

Post the following about the project:

Content objective

TLW describe how the earth’s revolution around the sun and its tilt on its axis cause different seasons and weather patterns across the globe. 

When you plan to implement

I plan to start working on the project in October or November. 

What tool(s) you plan to use

I will use GoogleDocs to create a file for us to collect our respective data.  We will also try to arrange a time to skype with the other class, but since they are in Cambodia, their school day may not overlap with ours.  If that is the case we might have to record short videos to share with them.  We can also utilize Today’s Meet to conference with them even if we are not doing it live.  We can still communicate back and forth.  We can also use Blogger to discuss our information back and forth.  This may lead to further discussions in other subject areas. 

A brief description of the project (plan - two or three sentences)

We will first locate Houston and Phnom Penh, Cambodia on a globe.  Then we will create a spreadsheet where we will record the high temperature (in celcius) and the sunrise and sunset times.  We will also note other information such as humidity and precipitation.  In our discussions with the other class, we will ask about their current season and about how many hours of daylight they have each day.  We will study our findings and discuss this in relation to the Earth’s revolution around the sun. 

If you need to find another classroom - We can begin networking with other classrooms right here!

I’m really excited about this.  South America or Alaska would be other great part of the word to research in this study.