Final PLE post

The most valuable aspect of this PLE was being able to reflect on the things that I learned and ideas that I have for incorporating technology in my teaching. I now have my own personal site that has my ideas and the knowledge that I gained through this course. There are some aspects of this course that I will definitely want to remember, so this PLE will be very helpful in reminding me of what I learned.

The only real issue I had with the PLE was the occasional problem I had with posting something or uploading a picture or video. I didn't have any problems with the postings, I thought they were a good time for reflection. However, I understand technology is unpredictable so that isn't something that can really be changed. I would change the number of PLE postings due during the practicum. I often found myself writing the same answers each week.

In the future, I would most likely use a blog for personal use to keep my extended family updated on my family's life. However, I do think that it would be interesting to use a blog as a type of class newsletter, where parents can be updated on what is going on in their child's classroom.

Readings on Media and the Internet

For my fourth article I read "I Have A Question" by William C. Porter. From these articles, I learned that the most important thing in regards to Internet and Media safety is to make good choices about what you view and watch on the Internet and the media. This may include setting rules and guidelines for your family to follow in order to protect them from the dangers posed by the Internet. The Internet and media can be positive and productive resources, however we must know how to combat the negative and evil influences that can be found through these mediums. By reading these articles, I have learned that many of the dangers on the Internet and media occur unintentionally or are subtle and indirect. This knowledge helps me to know to be more explicit in helping my students to understand what to do if something that they were not expecting occurs while they are on the Internet or watching some sort of media. Through what I have learned, I can encourage my friends and family to make good choices when using the Internet and media. I can also set my own limits on how much time I spend on the Internet and the media. My students and future children will look to me as an example, so if I am making good choices about what I choose to do, they will hopefully take counsel from that and choose to make productive and positive choices on the Internet and media. I will also take some of the ideas given about how to make my home safe from Internet and media dangers. These articles really helped me to see how important it is to make conscious choices about how I will use my time with the media, as well as how I will teach my students and children.

Internet Safety Video Clips

Many children have never known life without the Internet.
Online to have "fun"
1 in 4 students don't have problems talking to strangers online.
Problem sites: pornography, gambling, hate sites
260 million pornographic websites
40% have visited an inappropriate website
90% of 8-16 years old have viewed pornography online. It is usually unintentional.
Inappropriate material appears in key word searches, advertisements, etc.
Companies use popular misspellings to lead students to pornographic sites: "typo squatting"
Hate sites are showing up at a faster rate than pornography
Over 50% of HS students have admitted to plagiarizing
30% say its easier to talk with people on the Internet than in person
3rd and 4th graders: 18% go into chat rooms, 46% use E-mail, 26% use IM
High tech teasing: psychologically harmful, longer duration. "The new bathroom wall"
Cyberbullying can be deadly: depression, suicide, murder
People online may ot be who they say they are.
Every child with Internet access at risk.
Cyber predation: internet friendship, built false trust, arranged to meet, criminal act--The Grooming Process (these predators act like they are understanding, caring friends) They listen to the children, give them more attention than they receive and find out important details about the child.
Boys are victimized as often as girls
Parent-child communication about internet behavior is lacking.

Final Week of Practicum

Once again, I have not seen my teacher use technology in her classroom. She has made several comments that she should probably try to integrate it more into her classroom, but she has been teaching for many years and has several routines that she already uses.

This week I was able to use technology in a read aloud lesson. I read my class a book about Thanksgiving and I used Google Earth to show the students different places that were significant in the story of the Pilgrims. We looked at England and Plymouth Rock, as well as the school that I was in, so that the students could make a direct connection to what we were looking at. The students responded very well to this lesson and really enjoyed looking at the different places. When we were done, the students wanted to keep looking at places.

The students have been learning quite a bit about the history of Thanksgiving and the different events that took place. They could use the digital storytelling program to produce their own retelling of the Thanksgiving story. They could then share their stories with the other members of their class.

Week 3 of the Practicum

Much like the weeks before, I did not see a significant amount of technology used in the classroom that I am working in. My teacher has been teaching for several years and has many routines and lessons she uses that don't involve the use of technology. The only technology that I really see the students use is when they go to computers for half an hour every week. In talking with some other members of my cohort, we found that it is difficult to use technology in younger classrooms, especially if they aren't used to it, because they get distracted and excited and it is hard to manage the class. We did talk about using that aspect as an incentive to get students to behave, like saying "If you don't sit quietly and pay attention, we won't use the technology."
This week, I used technology once in one of my lessons. I read a book about turkeys to my class and I made a PowerPoint presentation showing different pictures of turkeys. The students really enjoyed it and were able to see what turkeys truly look like.
One idea I had for a lesson using technology, as it is Thanksgiving soon, I would like to read a story about the first Thanksgiving to the students and then use Google earth to show the locations of different events that took place.

Week 2 of the Practicum

As I talked with my teacher this week again about different technology that can be used in the classroom and in the school, I didn't really gain any new information about what I might be able to use. My teacher really does not use any technology in her classroom, and said that I can feel free to try and integrate any type of technology that I can or want, but kind of gave the impression that I would have to come up with it on my own. One of the other 1st grade teachers has a projector that can be made available for other teachers' use if necessary, so I will probably end up using that for a lesson.
This week I did not use any technology in my teaching because I didn't really have time to plan it out in my lessons. For two days of the week my class had a substitute so I took on quite a bit more responsiblity in the classroom than I was planning on, so I focused a lot on that. Next week, however, I plan on using technology in at least one of my lessons.
I am planning on using technology in a shared reading lesson this week. I am teaching a poem to the students, and I am planning on showing pictures and words through a PowerPoint presentation. I am going to try and find more technology to use in my lessons besides just a PowerPoint.

This Week In Practicum...

This week was the first week in the practicum. As I observed the classroom, I looked for different technology in the classroom. The only technology that I noticed was 2 computers and a TV/VCR/DVD player. I discussed this with my teacher and she told me that the school does have some technology, such as a computer lab where the students go to do computers once a week. However, in the classroom, she doesn't really use any technology when she is teaching.

One idea that I have had where I could use technology is to make some sort of interactive PowerPoint that could be shown on the TV screen, or through the use of a projector. Adding narration, music and pictures could turn a seemingly uninteresting lesson into a really exciting and interactive learning experience. This could be used in a reading lesson or a math lesson, or any other lesson that needed to be made a little bit more interesting than what it is at first glance.

I didn't get a chance to use any technology during my teaching this week. Hopefully I will be able to have access to some soon and start incorporating it into my lessons.

Technology Integration Assignments

Components of Possible Technology Integration Lessons

-Shared Reading Critical Attributes
1. Everyone should be able to see the text, which should be predictable (using rhyme, repetition, etc)
2. Introduce the book, discussing title, pictures, predictions, etc.
3. Teacher reads the story first, then the students (using a pointer)
4. Children should use their previous knowledge to give personal answers to questions.
-Technology Integration
1. Use the document viewer to display the book, especially if there are no large books available.
2. Digital storytelling to introduce the book or show the words to the book.
3. PowerPoint with words/narration

~Read Aloud Critical Attributes
1. Book that children wouldn't really read on their own
2. Motivation to want to read more complex things
-Technology Integration
1. Document Viewer
2. Storyboard
3. Websites
4. Digital Recording using different expressions

~Shared Writing Critical Attributes
1. Writing with the children, using their ideas
2. Generally teacher led
-Technology Attributes
1. Document viewer
2. SmartBoard

~Interactive Writing Critical attributes
1. Student and teacher write together.
2. Students come up with main ideas
-Technology Integration
1. SmartBoard
2. Use tools in Word to emphasize what they are writing
3. Use Digital storytelling

~Guided Reading Critical Attributes
1. Small group instruction
2. Read independently, mumble voices on
3. Homogeneous groups by level
-Technology Integration
1. Use PowerPoint

~Reader's/Writer's Workshop Critical Attributes
1. Increase fluency
2. Develop understanding
3. Improves self-efficacy in reading
-Technology integration
1. Video final performance
2. Internet/video clips to show how to use emotion (actors performing)
3. Writer's: Use a blog to have journal entries by different students.

Virtual Tours using Google Earth

I looked at Mallory's, Heather's, and Courtney's virutal tours. I learned about volcanoes, the Gold Rush, and the Revolutionary War. Using these virtual tours, students can visit and learn about subjects that they never would be able to visualize by themselves. Students can learn about features of the Earth, historical events, and many other topics. I definitely think that Google Earth is a tool to use in the classroom. Hopefully I will be able to utilize it in my classroom to help my students have a truly unique learning experience.

Google Earth

Google Earth is a great tool to use in the elementary school classroom. I learned that you can type in specific places (like Mount Rushmore) and it will take you right to that location. This can be used in the classroom as a tool to introduce students to different places in the world that they may not be able to ever visit. Students can even do reports on their own neighborhoods, they can find their house, school, church, etc. In Google Earth, people sometimes post actual pictures of the places you are looking at, so students can get an even better idea of what the area looks like. Google Earth would be a good interactive tool to use for many different subjects.

There is a link to a .kmz file to the right or you can click on the link below:

bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/placemarks/414516-BlackHillsSouthDakota~Webcams. kmz

This link can be used in a history or geography lesson to teach students about different landmarks in the United States

I'm Practically Perfect

Reflection on Digital Storytelling

This assignment was a lot of fun to do. I watched Melissa Aurich's, Heather Jensen's, and Courtney Boutikofer's videos and it was really interesting to see all of the different ways that people did this project. This technology can be used to retell a story or teach students about a book that they are about to read.

I would like to teach first grade and there are lots of ways to adapt this technology to help in the classroom. I could use this as a way to introduce students to books that they are reading. I could also help the students to make a digital story that retells a story that they read, or one that they have made up. I will definitely try and use this technology in my future classroom.

I'm Practically Perfect

Digital Storytelling Reflection

This technology is really cool! Digital storytelling would allow teachers to make videos and stories to show to their class as a new, unique way to explore language arts. Older students could even create their own storytelling as a project for the language arts portion of their class. Their are so many different formats to use, such as story retelling, poetry interpretation, book trailer, public service announcements or documentaries. The mediums that could be used are also numberous, including web pictures, photos, claymation or drawings. This is a really unique way to present different stories and other information.

Storyboard Picture

The picture is a little blurry but we are doing a poetry interpretation for "I'm Practically Perfect In Every Way" by Kenn Nesbitt.

This is our storyboard. We are using pictures of ourselves representing lines of the poem as our medium.

Reflecting on Other Technology Articles

After looking at the activities posted by others (I looked at Kamden's and Amy's) it is easy to see that there are so many ways technology can be incorporated into the classroom. The new advancements make learning about science new and exciting for other students. Traditional ways can still be used but the new technology just adds a little something extra to the learning experience. Many of these new programs allow students to experience things they never could before, like outer space and other areas of the Earth.

Technology Savvy

Coming up with new and creative ways to teach may seem difficult for some, but the new technologies that are being introduced make learning fun and exciting for students! Technology geared toward science learning is now allowing students to experience knowledge in a whole new light. For example, the following activity can help students to understand the solar system and its characteristics.

Using Google Moon, have the students look at sites #14, #15 and #16. These are all different perspectives of the moon.
The picture at the left is the home page of Google Moon. Direct the students to the different site locations so that they can see what the moon looks like.
Have the students observe each site location and notice the features of the surface of the moon. Have them comment on the differences that they see. After they have looked at these 3 sites, they can look around Google Moon to see what other interesting facts they can find.

Using Google Moon as a technological approach to teaching science with bring insight and interest into learning. Through this activity, students will be able to explore outer space without even having to leave their seats!

This week in IP&T

It was interesting to see all the different types of ways you can incorporate technology into the classroom. The Stellarium and the microscope are especially great ways to get students motivated about learning. They also learn a lot about technology too! It is important as teachers to be aware of new technologies because the world is constantly changing in terms of this, so it is so important to know of all the advancements.

The delicious site would be helpful for some teachers, especially if they work collaboratively on a lot of different things. It would give them a place where they can record all of the helpful sites and information that they find.

Using Web 2.0 Tools

I think that the tools we learned about in class today and applied to our blog can be really helpful as teachers. A blog could be set up as a way to update parents about what is going on in the classroom. RSS feeds could then be added that would show updates to school websites, important news information, and other updates that are important for the students and parents to know.



Goodreads is also a great ideas. Teachers could "friend" each other and then share different books and lesson ideas through this line of communication. Teachers could also set up groups with their students where the students could actually write reviews and opinions of the books they read.