Thursday, May 31, 2012

Make your own slideshow at Animoto.


Post 11:Self Assessing and Reflecting

11 tools exposed to me to a lot of new things! One of my favorite tools is dropbox. It is a great way for my parents to get pictures and videos I am taking in the classroom. My parents have also sent pictures through DropBox back to that they have taken from field trips, parties, etc. A new tool in  toolbox” that my students love is Wordle! It is amazing how easily I can incorporate it in to just about any unit of study. After spring break we will start studying about birds. Wordle will be a great resource for my students  to show what they have learned about their bird.
My classroom has a great variety to address the many different learning styles of the 21st century learner. My students have the opportunity to use many different technology tools to show their mastery of the various objectives.
I was surprised by how many websites and tools there are out there, and how easy they were to use for both my students and me. I have really enjoyed playing and becoming more familiar with all the new websites! Despite how much I have already learned and become familiar with, I know there will always be something new and exciting out there for me to learn. :)

Post 10: Underneath it All - Digital Citizenship

There are several things I want my students to learn about digital citizenship this year! Most importantly is safety. I want to make sure that they don’t give out personal information online or be tricked into clicking on pop ups. I also want them to be respectful of the equipment and be sure they are using it as a leaning tool. Finally, I want my students to become familiar with “safe” sights for kids to use both at home and at school. Our Librarian has already done a wonderful job introducing the kids to good digital citizenship. Even though she has already shown them the Brainpop Jr. on Internet Safety, I think it would be a great refresher for my students as we start using these new devises in our classroom. I think it would be helpful to come up with a classroom agreement specifically about ways our class can be good digital citizens. It would even be a good idea to share these agreements with the parents so that they can also sign off on them! This will help reinforce digital citizenship at home. 

Post 9: Incorporating Classroom-Based Devices as Tools for Learning

All of the technology tools we have been learning about are terrific resources! It is important to tie the technology to the objectives so that we can accomplish all of curriculum goals. In order to reach both our technology and curriculum goals, the students are using technology as a resource to show what they know about concepts that are taught in the classroom.
It is important to hold the students accountable for the stations/centers so that they understand the importance of the use of technology as it relates to concepts we are teaching. Teachers can then use the technology activities as a graded assessment tool when students know that they are going to be accountable.
We have found many interactive websites that we are using as workstations in the classroom. Two of our favorites are “wordle” and “think math.” We have included these sites on a menu for extension, or they can be assigned individually each day. Each student will spend time at on a certain menu item or in a particular assigned center for an allotted amount of time. The products are expected to be complete during this time frame.
Two of our favorite apps that we are currently using are “Coin Genius,”  “Envision Math” and “Pizza Math.” The students practice their math skills on the app assigned for that day during workstations. At the end of each workstation time, they must journal about what they learned/liked/disliked. It allows for great reflection time for them and gives us a good idea of which apps are worthwhile.
The ipod touches can be used for research, re-teaching, guided practice and enrichment

Post 8: Taking a Look at the Tools

Getting the I Touch was exciting! What a fun thing for the students to use in the classroom. After watching the video and spending some time playing around on the I Touch, I set up an I Tunes account. Then, I was able to search and download apps. Now, the students can use different apps that I find on the I Touch that are related to our curriculum. Safari is the search engine on the I Touch, so I learned how to navigate Safari and how to explain this to the students.
In order to manage how the students use the I Touch and notebooks in the classroom, I plan to have schedules. The students will know when their time is to use the devices. I also plan to have these devices as one of my math centers. I will have downloaded math apps according to the current concept being taught. The students will also use the devices during research, to complete extension activities, or for re teach purposes.

Post 7: Reaching Outside your Classroom: Online Digital Projects

Objective: TLW identify plant and animal adaptations within various habitats and climates.

Time: February 21- March 9th

Tools: Dropbox, Quizlet, and Glogster

Description: Each class will be responsible for researching a specific habitat (ocean, desert, arctic, wetland, grassland). Classes will share information across the grade level via Dropbox, Quizlet and Glogster to teach one another about their assigned habitat.
I liked this tool, tool! I heard of some of the websites, but not all of them.  I hadn’t heard of Poll Everywhere, so I created an account. I think this would be a fun way for the students to answer a question of the day. I had heard of Diigo, but hadn’t set up an account. (www.diigo.com ) I like how you can find other teachers and see what they are doing. 
I like Tool #5! There are so many websites and tools with fun things I can do with my kids. I really liked Animoto. I had made a video that was almost 2 minutes long. I didn't know it would cut me off after 30 seconds. Oh well, now I know. I will definitely use wordle in the classroom. It is a great way for students to write details on a particular topic in a cute way. There are several other activities that I liked where the students can create stories like Tika Tock and Storybird. I love finding such new and fun thing to explore!! :)

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

4th Post:)

After creating and sharing a document in Google Apps, I realized how beneficial this tool is. For example, students can compose writing samples and then share them with their peers during book talks, etc. Students would enjoy the immediate gratification and use of technology.

Monday, March 5, 2012

3rd Post:)

1. Two video resources I found to be beneficial are: a) an informational video on LLI (Leveled Literacy Intervention) reading intervention for general education teachers to have a better understanding of what this small group instruction looks like and b) a video modeling of a general education teacher implementing visual supports for students with autism.


These resources are useful in providing an explanation and modeling of some strategies that are incorporated into the resource and general education settings for students struggling with reading and writing skills; who may need other ways of communicating and expressing themselves.


2. I learned that the U.S. Copyright Law provides educators the use of copyrighted material without the permission of the copyright holder as long as the material is used for educational purposes.To find out more information on copyright and fair use laws and whether the technology tools you intend to use meet the requirements set out in the law, use this free, online tool:
http://librarycopyright.net/etool/index.php?startOver=true


3. I can use Picasa Web Album to assign writing compositions to small groups. For example, students may be required to compose a five sentence paragraph by answering the "5W" questions. Also, while 3rd grade students study the Landforms Unit, they can find examples of particular landforms and infer where these place might be on a globe or map.

2nd Post :)

After viewing at least five colleagues' blogs, I've noticed many useful technology tools I can incorporate into the small group setting, in all areas of the curriculum, especially language arts and math. Technology tools, such as web videos, allow for students to not only visually see something being modeled but also hear it to make the auditory connection. This is great for all multi-sensory learners (not to mention, videos can be replayed for students who need repeated/rephrased directions or modeling)!

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

1st Post:)

Hi friends! Welcome to Lindi Loves Learning! I am truly enjoying my blogging experience. Everything from creating a Voki, designing a personalized blog template, uploading a gadget and my first post has been entertaining. Entering the world of blogging can be a little overwhelming, but the HCE Technology Team has made the learning process fun and interesting.  Thank you ladies!