Tool #11 Reflection

My favorite tool is the Digital Storytelling. I had so much fun making a book with a story and music to accompany the pictures I put into the book. I can see students using this in the classroom to create a book/story to share and present to others based on photo's they have taken about an activity that they have worked on in the class during one of our subject areas.

I love using technology in the classroom, but it is not always the easiest since Kinder kids are usually on so many different levels of usage and ability to complete individual tasks, however, since working on this online course I could see how all the different activities can be differentiated for the students based on their level of performance. I will continue to work on my comfort level and continue to try and work/play with the activities, because there is no way I will be an expert. I am sure some students will be able to help me guide others through the processes, which is how the students learn and support one another anyway.

I was surprised by some of the activities that are available that I had not idea about. I am very visual so I did have some difficulty with navagating through sites and continuously having to go back to previous pages to reread what was supposed to be done in which orders. I would have loved to have a printed version of all the steps to go back and read in front of me verus flipping back and forth on pages and losing some pages by hitting the back button. I would have printed, but I don't have a printer at home and I know that we are supposed to be paperless, but I think it would be easier for me to highlight the steps to directions so that when trying to teach this to students I won't be so scatterbrained because it will be right in front of me to walk them through each step easily without backstepping or confusing steps.

Tool #11

Three things that I want to make sure my students understand about being a good digital citizen are safety, responsibility and communications. It is very important for students to understand how important it is to be safe when online and when giving out information. It will take a lot of practice and modeling to go over the aspects of safety, responsibility as well as the etiquette and how to communicate to others in appropriate manners. The students and I will have many discusssions about how they are going to be expected to respect others and to do their personal best while using new technology just as they are expected to respect others and do their personal best in the classroom.

Tool #10

I was able to use the free app called iDoodlelt which is like the paint program or sort of like Kidd Pixx. You can create pictures by using drawing tools, lots of colors, and shapes.

I have a list of Spring Branch approved FREE apps that I received when I attended an Ipod touch class. I have ideas of apps that can be used in every core subject area and productivity. I hope that I will get familiar enough with a large amount of these so that my students will be able to use them in class with the Ipod touches.

Tool #9

Jing is really cool because when students are working on projects to present to others, they will be able to take quick photo's of things on the pages they are visiting or even take several to make a short video of information to share with others on their project to help aid in presenting information.

Skype is a great way for students to communicate to other classrooms, schools, states, and even other countries. Mrs. Wilkins and I plan to try to create and use this within our classrooms so that the students can talk to each other and when Mrs. Wilkins goes out of the country she will still be able to check on the students and talk with them. The use of technology will be different, but the students will catch on quickly and support us in using this new style of technology

Tool #8

This is a song written and performed by Science Explosion, a group of science educators.

http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=7708&title=Water_Cycle_Song

This is a !great video to teach students about the water cycle. For instruction of ELL students this video is very effective. Providing the words so they can follow along with the song . The tune is catchy and the song is easy to sing, and repeating the song three times provides ELL's with repetition of the language. What a fun song to sing and easy to remember!

This is a video about The Three Billy Goats Gruff,
http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=134481&title=billy_goats
It is a great way to show students that they can perform and retell a story in a different way and using props.

Tool #7

Creating the digital story telling was a lot of fun. I was able to do it quickly. I like that you can add text to the pictures and then music to the whole thing. I could see how this could be used in the classroom when working on really any assignment. The students would need tones of support to walk them through the whole process, but they would love making their own digital storytelling book. Icould see how this could be usefull in writing, science, social, or math because of being able to add the text to each picture saying what they did or just creating a book for others to read.

Tool #6

Wow, wiki's look very interesting. I could see how when studying a unit or topic the students could create all different types of links to the one unit.

I even made a wiki page and just put my blog on it as a link. Hopefully it worked!

http://11tools.wikispaces.com/