Saturday, August 25, 2012

Tool #10!

1. I would make sure that they will use Flickr rather than Google images in order to protect copyright.  If they do need to borrow, they will know they have to cite sources.  Also, they will use internet etiquette for example, using correct grammar, not typing in all caps, and writing appropriate comments.

2. I will use Moving at the Speed of Creativity in order to teach students about being a good digital citizen.  I could do a jigsaw activity to have each of the students learn about one aspect and teach the class what they learned.

3. I will say that even though you are interacting behind a screen, the things you say and do are still affecting others in the same way as if you were saying or doing them in real life.  I would tell them to ask themselves, "would I say this to someone's face, or do this in front of others" before they comment or take action on the internet.

4.  At a parent night!!

Tool #9!

1.  It is important to tie technology to the objective because it makes the lesson more engaging and lets students experience technology they may never have had the chance to use before.  However, it has to be aligned, otherwise it is used only for fun rather than getting them to master the objective.

2. They need to be help accountable because it is a privilege that we get this technology to use.  They need to know that if the equipment is used improperly, they will not be able to use it again.

3. Learning Games for Kids is a great interactive website for students who finish my work early and don't necessarily just want another worksheet to complete.  It rewards learning with more learning but in a very fun way.  TESiBoard will work well for students who were absent or maybe spacing out during the previous class, and need a way to reteach themselves.

4. Both TED and Skype can be used for stations during an interactive research project.  There can be someone on Skype for a group to interview, and there can be a TED talk at another station for students to take notes on.

5. Students can use iPod Touch/iPad to vote!!

Tool #8!

1.  I learned how to turn on the wifi on the iPad, and also how to take notes on the iPad.

2.  I will manage the devices by first going through procedures with the technology.  They are a privilege that we are lucky to have in our classroom, and we have to respect them and use them with care.  They have to pick them up and hold them with 2 hands at all time, they are not to leave the table, and they are to be handled with extreme care.

Tool #7!

a. SWBAT Skype with a classroom in Ecuador and discuss the similarities and differences between the cultures of the US and Ecuador.

b. At the end of my Latin America unit.

c.  I plan on using Skype!

d. Students in each class will prep by answering a worksheet that helps them brainstorm culture in the US.  They will also come up with a class list of the 5 most important questions they have for the Ecuadorian students about their culture. Afterwards, my class will write a compare and contrast mini-essay about the two cultures.

Tool #6!

I will use polleverywhere to keep all of my students engaged and a part of the lesson.  I can use it for checks for understanding throughout my lesson, for example...

http://www.polleverywhere.com/multiple_choice_polls/MTI1MjA4NTY1OQ



I will use Skype to talk with my friend Chris who is a PeaceCorps volunteer (and his host family) in Ecuador, so that they can learn about the culture of a South American country.

Tool #5!

Xtranormal.com is great for student presentations. The students can make a movie of an interview between two important people in history, or have one character telling the other character about the culture of where they are from.

Prezi.com is a tool that I can use to make presentations come to life.  It is much more engaging than a powerpoint, and can keep students interest even on a topic that may not be the most exciting.

Tool #4

GoogleDocs is an app that I have used many times throughout college, so it is something I'm very familiar with.  It is a great tool when working with colleagues.  When working with my department, we can all be working on the same document from different parts of the school, which can save a lot of time.

It would be a great tool to use with my class, also, because they can log on and use GoogleDocs just like Microsoft Word.  They can use it to edit their own drafts or their peers' drafts, and they can also make powerpoints for class presentations.  When they share their documents and powerpoints with me, I can access the most recent draft at all times because it saves frequently.


I'm also excited about using GoogleMaps throughout the year in my classroom :)

Tool #3!

YouTube is incredibly helpful for my content area, World Cultures, because people from all over the world are abel to post videos.  Because traveling to different places around the globe physically is not feasible, it is possible to bring these places to life in our classroom through videos.  seeing real life around the world through a lens is second to seeing it in person.  I will definitely be using YouTube a lot throughout the year.

Photos are also a great way to bring the world to life in my classroom. One of my goals for my students this year is to improve their critical thinking and writing skills.  I can use photos on Flickr from around the world to create a writing prompt and have them think critically about what might go on in another culture by looking at pictures.






I was not aware that most things on Google image search are not free for use.  Now I know where I can access images without breaking copyright laws.


I can use Dropbox by putting notes and classwork from the day up so that students who are absent will be able to access what they missed.  I could also put extra videos, current events articles, and other resources I think would be helpful to my students.

Tool #2!

I was able to discover different blogs that would help develop my PLN.  As a new teacher, it is really important for me to spend time searching for different blogs and sites that will help be build up my network of resources.  It's important to use these blogs and sites interactively because you can generate new ideas with people from areas all over the country and world.

I want to work on sharing my thoughts publicly more, because I appreciate when other people share their thoughts and make them open to the online community.  Therefore, I will be sharing more of my knowledge in hopes that it will help people in my online community.

I have tried to stray away from using twitter because I don't want to be consumed by the online twitter community.  However through this tool, I have discovered that many teachers use twitter to post great ideas and thoughts that are very helpful to me.  I will definitely be using this site to improve my instruction in the classroom.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Tool #1

Let's get started blogging about 11 Tools wooooo! Karen Justl is the best!  I also made a Voki, as you can see on the right side of my page. I think Voki would be a really cool way for students to express what they've learned, but I'm worried about the time it might take to teach my kids how to create it.