Chapter 6 Reflection

I had never before considered using technology to build my classroom community before reading this chapter. We have used wikis and online discussion groups in college classes, but I had never thought about having elementary students take part in these. I think having online discussions and blogs would really help those students who are quiet during class to be more comfortable, because I know that in my classes for example, not everyone enjoys answering aloud. I am also realizing that students will enjoy school more if they can share what they know using technology/the internet, rather than what they don’t (i.e. traditional tests). I also like how the technologies and sites discussed in the chapter are social in nature, which I believe will encourage positive relationships between students. Something that was not new to me was the idea of teachers sharing helpful hints and information over the internet. I have read many teacher forums/blogs before to get information. What was new however, was TappedIn. I began to think how amazing and beneficial it is that the internet has enabled teachers from different countries to collaborate! That was unheard of several years ago. Therefore, I plan on investigating TappedIn and TeacherTalk at some point. Overall, I realized that technology has the potential to play a meaningful role in the classroom, but it all depends on the teacher’s decisions about types and uses and dedication to making sure that it is always meaningful for the students.

As a future teacher, something that caught my attention in this chapter was when it stated that classrooms are not typically communities because students are competing with each other and are disconnected. It said that cliques were also an issue and that students need common interests in order to become a classroom community. I understand what the authors are saying, and hope that my classroom will become a community where everyone feels accepted. I think that several of the ideas suggested in this chapter would support my goal of developing a strong, supportive community. First of all, I love the idea of having students reading expedition blogs as ‘virtual field trips’. This would certainly make for meaningful learning because the students can interact with the writer and learn social studies in an active manner. I also think that if I had older students, I would have them participate in online book discussions with students from around the world. I am also interested in having my students take part in Learning Circles in order to foster community-building beyond the classroom. Additionally, by communicating with students from various countries/cultures, students would be able to gain cross-cultural understanding in an enjoyable way, because they would all be working towards the goal of completing a project together. Similarly, participating in KidLink to talk with students who speak other languages would be great to practice a second language. I doubt that I would be teaching another language, but if I had an ESOL student, it would be great for him to be able to communicate with students from his native country in his native language. He could even share his experiences learning English. As a teacher, I would also love to use a blog of some sort to communicate with parents. The possibilities for using blogs and discussions seem endless, so I will constantly think about how I can use community-building in my classroom!

Chapter 5 Reflection

I am beginning to see more and more (as I read these chapters) the fact that technology can be incorporated into every aspect of learning -- and these ways are always changing. Prior to reading this chapter, I had not considered the idea of my future students externally constructing their internal models of concepts using computer programs. This seems like a great way for teachers to see what students know, as well as for them to organize their thoughts and ideas. We had previously discussed (in our science class) how models were a great way for students to learn about phenomena, with the drawback being that they may develop a misconception from the model. I think that having students create their own models can eliminate this problem; however, I wondered: What if they portray a misconception in the model? How would the teacher intervene without taking away from the constructivist nature of this activity? I discovered this answer near the end of the chapter, when it suggested using databases to share stories and read stories written by others. I think this would be a great way to gain information that can lead students to conceptual change on their own, but I feel like the students would need to be in the upper elementary grades for this to be successful.

As a teacher, I would have students create models that represent their thinking, because I agree that it would allow them to develop metacognition, or thinking about thinking. This is a vital skill that students need for success. Reflection is also necessary for them to be able to solve similar problems and examples better, and using mindtools like the ones suggested in the chapter would certainly assist them with this skill. I think that linking ideas together in a concept map would be a great way for students to visually see the relationships and connections between topics. I also have never used a spreadsheet myself, so I definitely did not realize the benefits for students, such as analyzing data, learning math, and simulating problems that students are working on. Therefore, I would like to try this with my students. I also liked the idea of expert systems and how they allow the student to become the expert. I agree that it would lead to them to think on a deeper level. (Ex: I had to do this myself when learning Chapter 3 for my presentation). I would have my students take part in this as well.

I would also design matrices using technology, rather than on a poster board. I think that it would be a fun project for students to create these on a given topic as well as share them with the class. I would also have students share ideas through a database in order for them to analyze other peoples’ knowledge and compare it with their own. If I taught younger grades, I would probably adapt some of these ideas by assisting students more.

This chapter was slightly confusing in that most of the tools were for middle to high school students, so I am not sure what would be good in the primary grades. Overall, I think that using mind tools to model thinking processes would be a valuable experience for both students and teachers.

Exit Slip - Week 8

Today I began to really imagine how I would integrate technology with my writing curriculum. I plan to teach younger grades, and when I read the chapter, I was not sure how the technologies suggested would work with young children. Alex and Katie provided some wonderful examples, such as Kidspiration, Gliffy, and Scholastic that certainly would be appropriate and enjoyable for my students. I also loved Global School net and would love to get my students involved in a collaborative project with students in other states. I think that this would help to get them motivated to learn. I had also never thought about using polls through text messaging with students. If I teach young students, this probably wouldn't work, but parents and guardians could possibly respond to important questions, provided they have texting. I also learned how to help students navigate websites using the smart board. I tend to get lost when clicking through sites, so I am sure this will be helpful with my class.

I am also continuing to be exposed to new sites/tools that I can incorporate into the classroom. Specifically, I learned about Parentella, which I think would be a great way for parents to be aware of what is going on in the classroom. Go Animate is also a site that many students would enjoy using, considering they can make designs and message students all around the world. The only drawback to learning about all of these new tools is that I am becoming overwhelmed! I want to use technology to enhance my students' learning, but not to the point that it takes all of my time to discover and learn how to use it. Hopefully I will discover several technologies that are multi-functional rather than several that can only be used for one task.

Last, learning about contemporary issues today was eye-opening. First, I am concerned about the possibility of society becoming addicted to the internet. However, I believe that it is something that we truly rely on because of its usefulness, relevancy, and prominence in society. Second, I think that each child having a computer would be great, but not as much for younger kids. I think that too much reliance on computers could lead to a diminished reliance on teachers and other students/social interactions. I want my classroom to be very social, and I don't think that technology needs to be in the classroom 100% of the time, especially with young children. They need personal interactions for social development. TV can also enhance learning, but too much can lead to children being deprived of real social interactions. Additionally, cyber bullying is something that I need to discuss with children and parents in order to try and avoid it in my classroom.

Chapter 4 Reflection

This chapter made me consider how technology can be used for writing in several new and exciting ways that many current teachers and teachers-in-training may not know about. We are all familiar with Microsoft Word and PowerPoint for example, but many of the other writing programs it discussed were new. Specifically, I had never considered using technology to design a concept map. I never liked to use these when planning writing because I felt they were not helpful for me. I think that I would have liked concept maps better if I could have made nodes on a program and then clicked on them for more detail. It seems great how one can manipulate and move the nodes around, which cannot be done using paper and pencil. This would have allowed more thorough planning, making these more useful. I also began to think about the drawbacks of PowerPoint based on the ones noted here. I have traditionally chosen PowerPoint for presentations, but I feel that students in our future classrooms would now be more likely to use Slide Rocket or Prezi because they are newer, and many of the drawbacks could be eliminated. We took an entire class on teaching writing, yet I had never really thought about having students publish their work online. This is a great way for them to share it with family and friends who may not get to see a hard copy. Overall, using technologies such as the ones in the chapter would allow students to gain a more meaningful and fun writing experience. (We all know that many of us and many of our students dislike(d) writing!)

As far as what I will do differently, I will definitely follow the suggestion in the chapter of having student analyze power points online etc. to see what makes a better presentation. On our chapter presentations for example, Jeff reminded us that too much text is overwhelming for the brain. This is something we need to show our students using examples. Also, I think I will have my students try editing each other’s work or use an online program such as SWoRD (however the book said it was really only used in higher education). My hope is that very soon, these types of programs will be more appropriate for elementary students. I loved the idea of collaborating in projects online through the Global School House Network. Back when I was younger, we participated in pen pals, but this seems to be a more modern and advantageous program. Students would learn more from sharing knowledge and experiences rather than reading a textbook or doing research. Additionally, I think my students would really enjoy it, so I would like to implement a project like this in my class. I also think I would have my students publish their work both in hard copy format and online, because it would allow them to get feedback from people outside of the classroom. This would be a unique experience that would make them feel more accomplished as writers. I am definitely going to check out the sites suggested in the book more.

Week 7 Exit Slip

Today I learned how difficult it truly is to present on technology that I am not an expert on. However, I found that presenting was a wonderful way for me to discover new technologies that I would want to use in my classroom. I learned what went well in our presentation and things we should work on, such as a conclusion. I also learned that a simulation is an umbrella term that includes microworlds, games, and virtual worlds. I wish the book had explained these terms in this manner because it makes so much more sense. Lauren and I were a little confused as to the difference between the four because they appeared to overlap as far as definitions and uses. Additionally, I learned about the benefits (keeping in touch) and disadvantages (character limit) of Twitter. I am actually not not a Twitter user though because I feel that Facebook serves the same general purpose, and is even broader. I also learned that Twitter can be used in the classroom and I never would have considered that. Wordle is another cool tool to use to make word clusters, poems, short stories, etc. and also print it out to put on T-shirts or business cards. Symbaloo is an awesome tool to customize your homepage! I also learned about some important issues in technology, such as online schooling, internet safety, and gaming. Overall, I am now realizing that almost any technology can be used for education, yet can also cause issues. Technology is constantly changing, so educators must continue to research and learn new technology.

Podcast Reflection

This project took a good deal of effort because at the start, I had no idea how to actually create a podcast; however, I knew what a podcast was because I have watched/listened to sermons and other programs online. I had been interested in learning GarageBand because I heard it was a wonderful program, and I already had it on my Mac – which made deciding on a tool very easy. The topic for my podcast was actually hard to narrow down, but I ended up choosing to incorporate a handout that I created on a famous artist. Once I attempted to use GarageBand, I struggled at first. I usually like to figure out programs on my own, but I quickly became frustrated. I then found a really easy tutorial online and was able to insert music, voice, and sound effects really easily. It took me a long time to listen to the sound options and music, as well as to move around the different parts so that they sounded good together. I liked how easy the program was once I got the hang of it. Another thing that I needed to know was how to save it as an mp3, and I was proud to have figured out to import the file in into my iTunes library, which converted it. It took me a total of 2-3 hours to complete from the beginning to final product. Next time, I think it would take probably half the time or less because I now know how to use the program. I also learned that taking the time to listen to a brief tutorial really is faster and makes things a whole lot simpler. I think from now on I will just do this from the beginning. I felt a great sense of accomplishment as I listened to my final podcast!

This was a really valuable project because podcasting is something that is becoming more and more common. It is a great way to share opinions, speeches, and information, and I like how podcasts can be so easily downloaded and listened to. In addition to using the podcasting feature of GarageBand, I can also now use GarageBand for personal projects such as editing music for my dance classes because I feel more comfortable with the program. If I had not done this project, I don’t know when I would have learned this program, and I would have likely wasted a valuable resource.

The podcast-making process impacts me as a future teacher because yet again, I am able to add a technology to my wealth of resources to use in the classroom. I know that my students and I would love to make these and be able to use them frequently. I could have weekly news updates available for my parents and students online, as well as have students listen to podcasts during class or for homework. I believe that the GarageBand program is not to hard for upper elementary students to use, and that they would love using it to make music and other projects as well. I am becoming more and more willing to discover new technologies as an educator, and am more open to bringing more types into my classroom. I would never have thought to use GarageBand for educational purposes.

Week 5 Exit Slip

I gained a lot of new thinking in class today. First of all, I now understand the difference between directories and search engines, as well as what a Webquest is. I also learned about the various topics that my classmates and I will be investigating for our inquiry projects. I had not even considered many of the creative ideas that they had come up with, so it will be interesting to see everyone's findings. The information that they find can help me in my teaching career. I learned about several new sites, such as Survey Monkey and Zoomerang to create and administer surveys. I had never thought about using these to check students' prior understanding in order to determine what topics need more intense instruction and which do not. I was also amazed to learn that non-credible websites show up at the top of the google search page. This is very frightening and students most definitely need to practice triangulation to verify accuracy of information that they have found through a search engine or directory. Just because it was found through google or Yahoo for example, does not mean that it is a credible source. Additionally, I was glad to be introduced to the NetSmartz website. I think this will be a valuable resource for learning how to select safe sites on the web, for both children and adults. Last, I learned about the Cool Tools presentations coming up and began considering how each tool will likely be useful to me in my classroom or personally. I additionally am beginning to consider the possibilities for my Podcast and think this will be a fun project because we can choose any topic that interests us, yet relates to education. I think I may discuss the importance of dance lessons for young children.