More Cool Links...

The University School of Nashville has created a cool site that has an online kindergarten and first grade technology lab. The four centers provide age appropriate sites for students that promote literacy through fun and interactive games and stories. The sites are so varied that students are bound to find some they really enjoy. I'm going to keep a link of this site handy as a resource for my students to use. Check it out here.

What your Child Should be Learning...

This is an interesting article published by Great Schools: The Parent's Guide to K-12 Success, that discusses what a first grade student should be learning about technology in school. I think this is a great parent friendly breakdown of what students will be learning and how to help them. Check out the link on the bottom to find out all about a first grade classroom in action (they even have a podcast!).

Jackpot!

I just hit the literacy jackpot! Starfall is an amazing site, designed primarily for first grade students (however pre-k, kindergarten and second grade could all benefit). Creating a calendar, gingerbread man and pumpkin are just a few ways that Starfall makes reading fun. All of the traditional stories are interactive, thus engaging pre- and early readers in interactive and fun ways! I'm adding this site to my website right away. Remember: to fully enjoy Starfall turn up the volume and start exploring.

Magnetic Poetry

The Internet is so cool! I just found a great site for kids (who am I kidding...adults too!) This site allows students to create their own poetry online using the popular Magnetic Poetry format. Picking from four different kits, students will find lots of different words and backgrounds to use to manipulate the words into poetry. I especially love the First Words and Story Maker Kits. These would make a great rainy day recess, or extra activity for students. The best part: students can email their finished poem...to you! Check it out here, and if you make any cool poetry, don't forget to email it to me!

New Site

I just found a cool site with tons of technology links for first graders. Some of the links are a bit outdated, but I found some great ones as well! I particularly liked the interactive Clifford stories. Notice the Benni the Bear under Problem Solving...my school totally did that way back in the day. Oh, memories!!! Check it all out here!

Computers!

Last Wednesday started as a normal Wednesday. Rushing around my apartment getting ready, making tea for the drive, finding an alternate route to Carnation (flooding...) and then the excitement...three new to us computers in my first grade classroom! The kids were so excited to see them! Some of these students don't have computers at home, so the opportunity for them to use these and be excited about learning is unquantifiable. These computers are going to be an amazing resource for the classroom and we are so lucky to have them. Yay for accessible technology! So far they are still getting the computers ready for usage, but I will give full updates how how the kids do with them.

And another thing....

To be fair I should mention that Page Creator is actually in a testing period through a program called Google Labs. What this means is, Google is testing out how it works/if it works/what needs work...etc. Since it is in an early testing phase they love feedback and are still working out the kinks. I also forgot to mention that with Page Creator you do not need to know HTML. However you can see everything you have done in HTML (this could be a great tool for the classroom). Also no site hosting is needed for Page Creator, which means free web pages!

Asgt. 5 Part Two

For my final technology project I created my own classroom website. Instead of using my practicum school I used the names of students in our technology class, thus creating a sort of template that I could use to adapt to whatever school I am at.

When I decided to do a website I was incredibly nervous. At the beginning of this class I was admittedly not very comfortable with technology. Even after learning so much this semester, the idea of creating my own website was daunting to say the least. After talking to Professor Sorenson I decided that Google Page Creator would be my best bet. After lots of trial and error, I was able to create my own website! Page Creator truly is a simple program, allowing you to add on to simple page layouts. The key is creating numerous pages and linking them to your home page. I discovered that through simple copy and paste you can include charts, lists and handouts that you have saved in Microsoft Word.

Page Creator is an excellent website builder for a beginner like me. I enjoyed adding links and pictures. However I did have a few issues with it. I found the layouts and backgrounds to be rather limiting. I enjoyed adding gadgets, such as coloring pages and a countdown, but just realized they have disappeared! I will work out the glitches and update my website as necessary.

Although I would not call myself a Page Creator expert quite yet, after spending a bit more time on it, I believe I will be. In the future I would like to explore alternate web page creator programs, perhaps Free Webs. I do think I posses a level of mastery where I could teach Page Creator to others. It would be a great program for elementary students to use to create their own websites. My vision is that each student has a page which they create and use to showcase their class work. Each site would then be linked to our classroom page.

To check out Page Creator yourself follow this link!

What do you think your classroom will look like in 5 years?

Wow! Who knows? This is an exciting question. Five years ago I never would have imagined document projectors, clickers, Smart Boards, classroom blogs, etc. It will be interesting to see where technology takes educators next! My hope for my classroom is that in five years I will have productive tools that supplement my teaching curriculum. Although technology can never replace effective teaching or curriculum, it can engage students and bridge gaps that teachers alone cannot. Hopefully my classroom will have computers for my students to use, a document projector (I have realized how this can help with classroom management by not having your back to the classroom) and ideally some sort of interactive white board.

I do realize that how my classroom looks will vary greatly depending on where I work. As a teacher it will be my responsibility to realize what my classroom needs and work for it. Look for an updated blog in five years with full details!!!

Share some things that have happened in your classroom...

I have had the opportunity this semester to observe a first grade classroom at Carnation Elementary School. I love this school! One of the greatest things I have been able to observe is how independent these students have become during literacy centers. During the first weeks of school the first graders spent a significant amount of time learning how to go to school. Since many of them had not enrolled in full day kindergarten, this year was their first chance to be at school all day. Learning classroom routines, school schedules, and socialization rules were a large part of these first weeks. One area where their growth has really shown through is in literacy centers. In just three months the students have gone from very dependent during centers to incredibly independent. It is exciting to see how well they do and just how much they have learned.

Watching students growth has been incredibly exciting and often surprisingly tangible. Students who could not write a complete thought the first month of school are now writing sentences! They continue to impress me with just how bright they are all. I am incredibly blessed to have an amazing class of first graders to observe! I look forward to next semester where not only will I be able to spend more time with them, but I will be able to teach them!

Questions for Panel

On Tuesday Nov. 12th Technology in Education will have the opportunity to talk with three NU Alumni about how they use technology in real life educational settings. Since I still struggle with technology integration I am very excited to hear from them. The following are a few questions I have for them.

1. How do you keep yourself current with the ever-changing technology?

2. As students of technology and teachers in training, what is the most important technology advice you can give us?

3. How have you seen technology improve learning for students?

Thanks Jeremy Kowalski, Laurie Sween and Casey Ward for taking the time to pass on some of your knowledge!!!

Smart Board Part 2

Tonight for class all Technology in Education students presented a short lesson using the Smart Board. After viewing these presentations I have so many more good ideas for how to use the Smart Board in my classroom!

I love how Crystal created a power point, and then by simply opening it in Smart Board was able to present and manipulate her power point with Smart Board technology. Hannah and Susana both used some exciting programs that worked with labeling diagrams. I also like how Brad assigned each student a clicker, which he then set up with Smart Board. When he wanted to call on someone he had Smart Board randomly pick a clicker, their number and name then popped up on the screen. He also used the clickers to take class polls. This combined technology would be incredibly fun for early elementary students.

These are just a few examples of some of the creative ideas presented tonight. By watching the presentations I not only feel more excited about the Smart Boards uses in the classroom, but more knowledgeable about some of the very cool things the Smart Board can do!

Asignment #4: Smart Board Activity

For this assignment I found a Smart Board Lesson on vowels that is perfect for kindergartners learning their alphabet or first graders needing further work or review. Click here to check out this fun lesson .

This lesson works for Reading EALR 1.1 "use word recognition skills and strategies to read and comprehend text." Through vowel recognition and phonetic awareness of vowels students will be on their way to learning how to read.

This lesson also fulfills NETS 1 by helping students to become familiar with and eventually proficient in Smart Board technology.

This activity goes through several activities relating to vowels. The class begins by rolling a die on the screen. This die contains the vowels a, e, i, o and u. Whatever vowel pops up the entire class sounds out. During this section students will be able to come to the Smart Board and take turns "rolling" the die.

The next screen then asks the students what the letters on the die had in common. There is a space provided where the teacher can write in "they are all vowels."

Next students practice recognizing which vowel goes with a sound. By clicking a question mark a vowel is spoken, students then pick which vowel presented matches the sound. If they pick correctly they will hear a different animal noise.

Next students will click on shapes which will then say a vowel out loud. They will then write the vowel in the space provided.

Finally students match animals to which vowel is the first letter in their name.

These slides are all provided in the download, however I rearranged them for ease and added my own animal images to to the final slide.

The class will participate as a group on this lesson. Each student will have a chance to come up and interact with the Smart Board. I will assess learning through their interactions and through further class work on vowels.

I would love to have a Smart Board in my classroom. Its potential in an early elementary classroom is incredibly vast. By allowing total interaction the students will be able to be engaged on new levels. The Smart Board has the potential to work for all learning styles, through seeing, hearing, drawing,and writing all within a single lesson. Even in the presentation of new material, students will be able to manipulate a lesson, interact with it and have ownership of what and how the material is being presented.

How will your students learn/use productivity software?

Teaching first grade I will have the exciting opportunity of being able to introduce productivity software such as Microsoft Word to many of my students. One of the ways that I would like to introduce such software to my students will be through the publication of their work. To increase the ease of learning a new tool, especially since some of my students will be unable to write let alone type, we will work on writing poetry in class. Once my students have written their poems I will show them Kidspiration where they can create images to illustrate their poetry. Then they will use Word to type their poems. My students will then have an exciting finished product after their first foray into productivity software.

K12 Online Conference 2007

Drew Murphy's presentation "Step by Step-Building a Web 2.0 Classroom" was the perfect introduction to both online conferences as well as Web 2.0. Throughout his video presentation Murphy used all of the tools he was explaining, as well as a fun character named Vinnie, to explain and introduce practical and revelant ideas for building a Web 2.0 classroom.

Murphy began by giving definitions of both what Web 2.0 is as well as why we need it. He then explained the 10 Key Skills and Concepts for building a Web 2.0 classroom. These skills are presented in order, that is begin at step one and progress toward step ten.
1. Browser tabbing vs. windowing
2. Bookmarking
3. Signing up to a Web 2.0 tool (YouTube is a good choice for newcomers)
4. Commenting on content
5. Cutting and pasting
6. Emphasis and alignment
7. Using images
8. Explaining and applying linking
9. Slideshowing
10. Embedding content

Murphy focused on making the very abstract Web 2.0 concrete for both yourself and your students. Through familiarity and the learning of the software, Web 2.0 can help teachers save time, provide effective, relevant lessons, enhance class interactions, improve student behavior and make teaching more rewarding!

By showing extensively how Web 2.0 specifically works for his classroom, Murphy helped to emphasize not only the usefulness of Web 2.0, but its ability to create and foster healthy community in classrooms. Students are able to engage and connect with each other, the teacher, and the greater online information network.

I have included a link to not only Murphy's presentation, but some of the software he uses and discusses. The educational merit of this presentation is great and I recommend it as a tool to increase your own knowledge of Web 2.0 or for ideas on how to integrate into a Web 2.0 classroom. As a result of this presentation I have decided to do a final project culminating in an interactive web page for my future classroom. Wish me luck!

Presentation Link
xSpression Software
Zoho (this is so cool!)
Tangler
BubbleShare (create your own slideshow!)

What are the internet issues for your students?

In the last few hours I have directly dealt with two very different internet issues, pertinent issues that will affect my students. While trying to view online audio and video from the K12 Online Conference I have been unable to download any of the talks. While I know other students have completed this assignment and therefor successfully viewed or listened to a talk, I realize this is not a broad problem. In may be a bit of fateful irony, as I did wait until the day the assignment was due to begin, that I have been unable to access the presentations. Cruel fate or not this can be a very real issue for students in the dependence that they have on the Internet, and the problems that can arise when they are unable to adequately use it. On an undoubtedly more serious note, I have also dealt with the issue of Internet safety. As I have been waiting for my undownloadable talks to download I worked on a current paper I am writing, a movie review of the film Hard Candy. This unsettling film finds its foundation on an inappropriate relationship between a teen and a thirty-something adult, a relationship founded and fueled by the Internet. Through the writing of this paper I have come across many horrifying statistics detailing the abuse of the Internet by child predators. As an educator presenting the Internet for my students' educational use it is my responsibility to ensure that they are not only safe, but empowered with the knowledge of how to use the Internet in a safe way.

Assignment 3 Technology Integration

Recently I used a fall friendly lesson in my Instructional Design class entitled "Pumpkin Investigation." This lesson, aimed at first graders, was fun and interactive, yet lacked any technological element. Reviewing this lesson I have been able to improve it through the addition of some simple technology.Check out my update lesson plan here.
- In order to make the technology changes I would need to have a Smart Board set up in my classroom. With the Smart Board I would need the software necessary on my computer to create the original chart.
- By creating a Smart Board interactive chart my students will be better able to be a part of the introduction to our lesson, as well as have a visual representation of what we discussed as a class when they are doing their independent work. Without this technology I would be writing on a white board during this time.Technology would make the learning environment more student friendly.
-The major technology challenge I would face would be the ability to even have a Smart Board in my room. Once acquired, it would require significant practice and review to ensure that it would work. In addition to my required familiarity with the new technology, it would be a good idea to have a backup in case my technology does fail. Understanding that I may have to resort to a white board will increase my confidence and ensure a smooth lesson regardless of what happens.
-NETS for students this assignment covers: 1.A, 2.C, and 3.A.

Kidspiration in the Classroom

As a future teacher, it is always exciting to find new resources that can be used in exciting and fun ways in my future classroom. Although I had never heard of Kidspiration, it has proven to be yet another exciting tool for my classroom. Kidspiration is a software program where educators can create their own interactive programs, or use already included activities. Activities included are divided into categories: reading & writing, social studies, science, math and a more category which includes miscellaneous activities. I have included a link to my first effort at Kidspiration, a format where students (or a teacher!) can use words and pictures to describe themselves. I love the possiblity that Kidspiration provides for students to embrace and feel successful in technology from a very young age.

Kidspiration.rtf

Assignment #2 Age/Subject Resources

Classroom Tools

Classroom tools serves as my misc. section for classroom and teacher resource links. With any grade, although I have to assume especially with my first graders, setting a timer will be a useful tool for classroom management and student organization, for that reason a link to an online timer is a great resource to ensure that I will never be without one. I recently discovered Google calendar, an excellent resource that can be customized to my classroom. Google earth will be another fun addition to my classroom. Not only will we use this when we are studying different places (answering those questions: "Is Africa close to Carnation?" and "How big is China?"), but it will also be a fun resource for discovery of the universe thanks to its recent expansion. The Smart Board resource contains numerous downloadable templates, lessons and games for my much hoped for Smart Board.



First Grade Student Resources

I loved finding resources for this section! There are so many fun and educational websites for children. In my dream classroom, where every first grader has access to a computer throughout the day, this list is a perfect starter list for favorites that students may access.

Highlights is filled with a plethora of activities for early elementary students. One of my favorites is the Build a Robot feature where they can create their own robots and then print them out. A perfect rainy day recess activity, this is not only fun for the students but familiarizes them with technology and allows them to manipulate size and color.

I love Reading Planet! What an amazing fun and colorful site for kids that is brimming with educational merit. I will introduce my students to the read along stories and song section, which includes stories in both English and Spanish. I would even consider having this be an individual literacy center, where students watch and hear the story on their own, and then answer some short questions.

Our Community
This section of my resource list caters directly to the individual school and students I am serving. Since I am currently student teaching at Carnation Elementary School I set up this section to serve those students. This would be an area on my blog where students in my class could find information on their community. I have included the school and district websites, a link to local weather information, the city of Carnation homepage, King County Library System and Artsonia, a very cool website where schools, like Carnation Elementary, can post their students artwork.

Professional Development
It may seem strange that I have only one resource under professional development, but in this case it really is one stop shopping. The OSPI website contains a wealth of information necessary for all teachers in Washington state. Only in my first semester of the teacher education program, I have already come to rely on this site quite heavily. EALRS, GLES, lessons plans, WASL and NCLB information, school statistics, programs, and support are just a few of the topics available on this site. This will without a doubt be my most used website.

Teaching Resources
The web is absolutely filled with teaching resources! Some of my favorites are included here. I already love using these for lesson plan ideas, however beyond that you find numerous resources as well as support at these websites.

The majority of these vast websites are separated into sections and one of my favorite sections is Education World's Technology Integration. Being the self-professed "scared of technology" teacher that I am, I love any sites that provide support, ideas and even more links for help with the integration of technology in the classroom. Education World also has sections on lesson planning, professional development, administrator's desk and school issues.

Teacher Vision is filled with amazing lesson plans, printables, classroom management tips as well as an area devoted to professional development. One area of this site I know I will use it the thematic units. By clicking on Diversity Month, just one example of many, you are provided with numerous articles on teaching diversity, information on different cultural holidays, music, art and folktales, immigration, conflict and war, as well as keeping peace. Each of these topics includes a number of teaching tools and topics.

This sites have opened my eyes to just how many resources are available to educators on the web. They have served to further inspire me and get me excited for teaching. I know I will be using them in many ways in my own classroom.

Web 2.0 Tools in the Classroom

How can Web 2.0 tools be used in the classroom? Wow-what a vast question! I should start from the beginning and admit that as little as a week ago I had no idea what Web 2.0 referred to. Luckily, my horizons have since broadened and I now realize just how much this sharing of the web covers. Web 2.0 refers to tools that enable users to interact with each other using the internet. These tools include Wikipidia, wikis, blogs, Flickr, Skype, MySpace, Facebook, podcasts and more.As an early elementary school teacher I will have the exciting opportunity to introduce and expand my students understandings of many of these tools. I am interested in creating an online classroom community, where my students can practice both their writing and reading skills in a cooperative way. I envision a class blog where students are free to transpose their writing workshops onto the web. Together we well design the blog, including our own artwork to accompany our thoughts. This blog will be a great way to strengthen students reading and writing skills through the incorporation of technology.

Smart Board in the Classroom

I love the Smart Board! I am so excited at the possibility that I may have a Smart Board in my own classroom in the near future. Although at first overwhelmed by this new technology, I am beginning to understand just how expansively it can be used in the elementary classroom. My future students will be significantly more technology savvy than I am, and as a result will most likely be excited and engaged by any elements of technology in the classroom. The opportunities for smart board use are limitless, it will work as an interactive white board and computer, perhaps eliminating the traditional white board. Presentations, lessons and games can all be done on the Smart Board. Perhaps an attendance system can be set up on the board where students can self check-in. I am eager to learn more about the Smart Board and its use in my classroom.

Assignment 1 Technology Literacy

Question 5

Professional Preparation Performance Profile.xls

Assignment 1 Technology Literacy

Questions 1-4

Asgt. 1.doc

My New (First!) Website

Tonight in class we created our own webpages. This was a first for me and something I was very nervous about. It turned out to be shockingly easy and fun! Although my website maintains a certain level of simplicity, for a first try and one class period, it's certainly not bad! Using HTML was incredibly tedious. However using a program such as google pages made the process significantly easier. Check out my new webpage: http://whitley.jenny.googlepages.com/home . I promise that there will soon be more to come.

School Website

As a student teacher beginning my first of four semesters at Carnation Elementary School it is important that I begin to familiarize myself with all things Tigers, including their school website. Organizationally Carnation's website is well made. Links on the left clearly and accurately describe what they link to. Despite incredibly easy navigation I found the website to be lacking in decorative appeal. The site is not visually very pleasing and could benefit immensely from some creative touches. I also felt that the website could be reworked to include sections for the students. For the most part the site appears informational only, apparently to be used my parents and guardians.
After exploring the school's website I discovered my cooperating teacher, Mrs. Renahan's, classroom site. This site is very easy to navigate for parents and guardians with links to: newsletter, volunteer calendar, daily schedule, Artsonia, specialist schedule, class list, homework, sharing schedule and tiger of the week. My only improvement for the site would be more areas for the students themselves to use or explore.

http://www.ce.riverview.wednet.edu/

Prensky Article

Marc Prensky states in “Adopt and Adapt: Shaping Technology for the Classroom” that acquisition of technology typically involves a four step process: 1. Dabbling. 2. Doing old things in old ways. 3. Doing new things in old ways. 4. Doing new things in new ways. What I failed to realize was that until recently schools had merely been dabbling with technology.
Prensky argues that even writing and submitting work via computers and the internet are doing things the old way because they do not embrace a new way of doing things. They are still simply passing words around. Despite the school system’s resistance to technology, a number of schools are doing old things in new ways. Such as simulation technology which allows students to explore virtual systems thus experiencing and experimenting with ideas and realities.
The proposed missing link for technological adoption in the school system is one-on-one computing. Prensky believes that in order for “true technological advance to occur, the computers must be personal to each learner.” Once students are using them well the computers will become extensions of their selves and technological revolution can occur. Currently cost is estimated at $500 to $1000 for one-on-one computing; however cost will soon not be a factor as price per unit but will be dropping to roughly $100.
In order to move forward, Prensky feels that the digital age requires new curricula, new organization, new architecture, new teaching, new student assessments, new parental connections, new administration procedures, as well as many other elements. Technology needs to not just be adopted but adapted into our current school structures.
This article works incredibly well at emphasizing the importance of technology in education as well as just how much we still have to do. I found particularly interesting the emphasis on the total change that technology will bring as well as the need for a personal computing for every student. My final thought which I cannot seem to disregard is based on his statement that one-on-one computing should no longer be financially impossible. If this is a possibility why is not more prevalent? What is stopping this technological advance in our school systems? Are we not as schools making enough strides to technologically adapt ourselves?

Why I Want to be a Teacher

Ever since I was in the first grade I have wanted to be a teacher. My first grade teacher, Mrs. Lotz, created an environment that I could not help but love. Rushing home from school in the afternoons I would continue to play school and pretend to be Mrs. Lotz. Although my reasons for wanting to be a teacher have grown in my nineteen years since the first grade, I still look up to Mrs. Lotz as a role model for what a good teacher looks like. I want to create a loving and safe environment where children can grown and learn. I want to recreate the kind of classroom that I loved so much.

The role of technology in education is important and imperative. By teaching children in technologically relevant classrooms we are preparing them for a lifetime of using and understanding our changing technological world. Not only does this exposure technologically prepare our students, it also acts as a strong teaching aid for today's teachers.