Student Created Photo Story for LA

The 7th graders were required to research an singer / songwriter and create a powerpoint presentation to share their work.  The three parts of the project included a biography, an analysis and interpretation of one of the singers songs and the creation of the presentation.  My student had lots of ideas but needed accommodations made to the assignment. He picked Brad Paisley since fishing was dear to his heart. Once again, the increase in his level of effort and attention displayed throughout the process really showed me that  the use of technology in the classroom needs to be expanded.

NET-T 1,2,3,4

NET-S 1,2,3,4,5

Class Reflection

Time over the last weeks has passed much too quickly for me.  Eight weeks ago, I looked forward to EDU 584 with the hope and anticipation that I would learn new technology skills, be more tech savvy and improve my teaching skills with the use of technology.  I also entered the class with much trepidation since I was concerned that my skills may not be up to par. Now, the last class is here and I am wishing it would not end.  Even though my goals have been met beyond my expectations, I have the desire to keep the new tech skills sharp and expand my knowledge further.  I am surprised and proud that I can now Blog, use Google Reader, Docs etc. I have learned to import pictures, audio, video and share it with my fellow teachers.  Words foreign to my vocabulary like Animoto, Voice thread, Voki, Photo Story, and Story Bird now have meaning and purpose that will give me the tools to engage student learning.  I look forward to sharing my new knowledge with my studetns and other teachers in my building so that we can bring learning to a higher level.  







Hebrew Proverb"A child is not a vessel to be filled, but a lamp to be lit".  

Scholastic Teacher Book Wizard

Scholastic Teacher Book Wizard

As a member of the summer reading committee, I found this site to be helpful in finding levels of books by Lexile, DRA or grade equivalent.  Hope it can be of use to you also.

Czapor-Literacy Project-Pluto

Hooray! Here' s my Literacy project on Pluto.  It has been a wonderful experience for me and the students.  The whole process keep the student from giving up and taking a zero because she is so afraid to speak in front of the group.  By using Photo story,  she completed her project and "presented" without standing in front of the class and exposing weak reading skills.  I have not had this much effort from her in months.


 

Digital Story -Holocaust Information/pre Anne Frank

  The information in this digital story will hopefully give students a better understanding of the life of Jewish people during WWII. The video is part of the front loading lesson prior to reading The Diary of Anne Frank. The video can be watched straight through with discussion at the end or paused throughout to answer questions and clarify thoughts and give reflections.  Depending on the level of students additional writing activities can be added also.  The goal is to demonstrate through technology that the life a Jewish person during WWII was much different that the life of people today.


** Major problems uploading this so please respond with suggestions. Saving as a movie did not work. Hope this did.


NETS-T 1,2,3,4,5

Digital Gaming in Classrooms Seen Gaining Popularity

Digital Gaming in Classrooms Seen Gaining Popularity

I thought I would share this information with all of you.  The data seems to be on our side.  Digital gaming is in our classrooms to stay.  Let me know what you think of the comments after the story.  Not easy to convince those who are not educators but it never is!

Digital Story

Slow going  on my digital story.  Having some issues with the sound matching the pictures but determined to figure it out.  Something is amiss but I'll keep trying. Luck is on my side ......RIGHT????

Class Dojo

Today a colleague and I were trying to set up a behavior system for a newly formed program for students with behavior issues.  The students will be self contained till the end of the year in the hopes that we can use data to make appropriate placement for the fall.  After much discussion, I suggested we try Class Dojo to set up the behavior expectations.  After about a 1/2 hour, we had the expectations listed and the point system all set up.  It was so easy and the parents were really glad that the daily report can be emailed directly to them at the end of the day.  Class Dojo will be a great way to start the year in the fall.  Check it out!
NETS-T 1,2

50 Crucial Rules – Social Media Etiquette for Students

Social media etiquette needs to be taught to those of all ages.  Initially, I was hoping these 50 rules would be for young students but this article is for those young adults just out of college or even those of us that are still learning about social media in general.  Good suggestions for all of us to consider.  Let me know what you think about some of these ideas.  Do you think they are to vague? Too strict?

http://www.sociableblog.com/2010/04/01/50-crucial-rules-social-media-etiquette-for-students/

The Importance of Teaching Digital Citizenship

The effects of the cyberbulling run deep - embarrassing , intimidating and harassing.  However, the problem is not only an online issue.  It happens in the classroom, playground and neighborhoods.Teaching digital citizenship has been added to the ever growing list of issues teachers have to address in the classroom.  The lessons that need to be taught focus on being a good member of society both online and in person.  The overall civic lesson that students need to learn is that they are part of the community and their actions and decisions need to reflect respect for each other and the community.  I am in agreement that citizenship skills need to be taught.  My concern is where are we going to fit it into our day?  Is a district curriculum needed?  Even still.... teaching children to be good citizens is a must.


http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/the_importance_of_teaching_digital_citizenship.php

Survey: Educators lack training to teach online safety - USATODAY.com

Survey: Educators lack training to teach online safety - USATODAY.com


After reading this article while researching digital citizenship, I thought I would share the link.  At the beginning of this course I truly felt like one of the teachers in statement below.
"36% of teachers said they received zero hours of training by their school districts in the last year; 40% received one to three hours of training."  However, over the last weeks, I am so amazed at the amount of growth that I have experienced.  With that in mind, I believe we need to share our knowledge with our peers.   We can start out small and teach a few peers at a time. Tracy mentioned during the Skype on Wednesday, she is the only one in her building using technology. Teachers need to teach teachers.  If the districts are not going to provide proper training through district professional development, we will need to teach each other if we are going to hope to keep students informed and safe online. 

ClassDojo

We have been able to share so many valuable resources during this class and each of us has been able to take /use what will work with our students.  That said, to me it doesn't matter what we are teaching if the management in our classroom is not in order. If classroom rules/expectations are  clear and followed, the learning environment is so much more successful.  Class Dojo focuses on behavior management  and brings positive reinforcement to the digital age. 

"ClassDojo is an award-winning behavior management tool that helps teachers improve student behavior in class, using realtime feedback. ClassDojo makes it easy to build positive learning habits and behaviors, and then easily engage students and parents to improve behavior in class and at home. It takes less than 2 minutes to get going - check it out now!

Winner of NBC’s Innovation in Education Award 2011. Used and loved by millions of teachers and students around the world".

We will be starting PBIS in the fall in my school, but will it be the saving grace and restore order to the building as they claim.  Is ClassDojo an option for your students? Check it out and let me know what you think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5uihmPlbvA&feature=related

Planned Digital Story Telling Project

 What are your plans for this project?

My plans for the Digital Storytelling Project are to provide background information in story format as a segue into "The Diary of Anne Frank."  Both of the 8th grade teams I work with are going to be starting on this diary shortly so I will be using the project with students as soon as it is completed.  My thought is that by using this type of media, the students will be able to understand how and why it was so important for families like the Frank's to hide out during WWII. Since this is such a serious subject, I have been tentative about my choice but think it would be helpful.  What do you ladies' think?  I am interested in your thoughts and have struggling with narrowing my choices. 

Early Childhood Websites

Wikijunior is an  resource to use for finding nonfiction books/information for students from birth to 12.  The site is well organized and child friendly so that students can pick their titles easily.  Although some teachers steer away from sites that can be edited by students, Wikijunior would be a great place for students to get exposure to wikis in general. It could be used for teaching about website credibility and internet sources. I might also use this site for students who are not able to read through the extensive text of other websites but need to research / explore a topic.

NETS-S 1,2,3,4

The name "Hubbard's Cupboard" really caught my eye!  As I explored further, I was impressed with the idea of the literacy kits mentioned in the "Family Involvement" section. What a great way to guide parents in the direction their children need to go! Next year, I may put some kits together for my low level readers who would be really like to practice at home.

Next, I checked out the Social Studies section and explored the "Maps, Mail and Where I Live" unit.  Even though my students are older, they would still like some of the activities in the unit as well as reading children's books.  Topics covered in this unit are also covered in Gr. 7 Social Studies so I would be able to use Map, Mail and Where I Live as a modified unit for some of my special ed students. This was a great find for me. Thanks!

NETS-S 1,2,4, 5

NETS-T 1,2,3,4

Read, Write, Think has been a resource that I have used for some time.  I not only get great ideas for lessons but have used the printables and other resources to make modifications to gen ed lessons. Another plus for this website is that it clearly lists student objectives. This added bonus is utilized when I need to write custom goals and objectives for students.  Since I am called upon to modify often I have used this site as a guide for others so that they can learn to make the necessary changes for students on their own.  Teaching teachers this skill has been easier when I can use this site as a resource.

NETS-T 1,2,3,4,5

NETS-S 1,2,3,4

Here's a website I found that is chock full of so many opportunities for learning.

http://www.uptoten.com/  UpToTen has thousands of educational games and activities for children. Some of the actiivites are centered on computer navigational skills.  The site has 3 levels of participation - one of which is Free! 

NETS-S 1,2,3,4

Babes in Computer Land

1) At what age can online/digital literacy activities be integrated into the classroom? Provide supporting details in your response. 


Online/digital literacy activities can be integrated into the classroom for 2-3 year old children.  There are numerous websites like Starfall and Nick Jr that teach literacy skills for very young children. Touch pads, iPods  and other tools are accessible to so many very young children.  Parents use the tools to teach as well as keep children busy in the car, during appointments and in restaurants. Even so, the children are learning literacy skills and manipulating computers at a much younger age than in the past.The following link will bring you to the article "Young Children and the Technology Trend: Toddlers and Tablets Unite". It is worth checking it out in my opinion. 
http://protectme.webroot.com/featured/young-children-and-the-technology-trend-toddlers-and-tablets-unite.html

Another site I found helpful is listed below. Although I do not teach children this young, I will have special education students in the near future that may need these types of educational activities.

Lunch Box is easy to navigate and has a section so you can filter the many choices you may want to focus on when choosing an app for a student or very young child. With sites like this available, parents and teachers can make safe decisions about apps and educational games. 

With all this said, Digital technology can be integrated into classrooms with very young children. The skills that they will acquire far outweighs any cons that some believe is pushing our youngsters too early.

Check Your Work...

How many times have we asked students to check their work?  Repeatedly, constantly?  Well, now it's my turn to check my work.  The title of my blog has a misspelling!   Last time I checked a bog was in Cape Cod with cranberries growing in it.  LOL!  I have looked that page over and over but never noticed it until tonight. Has it been like this the whole time???  I was switching designs today and maybe I did it then but.......  ??  It's always good to have these sort of things happen to me so that I never forget how my students feel when they make a mistake or have a misspelling.

NOW!!! How do I fix it??


Food for Thought

"I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence, I can reach for; perfection is God's business."  Michael J. Fox, quoted by Lorne A. Adrain in 'The Most Important Thing I Know'

Web Page Attempt

I have attempted to put a web page together and I definitely think it needs some pizzazz. I tried to pick one that was free and workable so my choices might have been limited. Improvement is a definite need. Ideas? Thoughts? Start over with another web tool? Looking for some input.
http://teachers.net/cgi-bin/sampler.cgi
NETS: 1,2,3

That Quiz

WOW ! Set up the Test. Students take it on line. It's graded immediately. Subjects include math, vocabulary, geography, science. Every little bit helps when we're trying to save time. Hope you find something useful. http://www.thatquiz.org/

Using Ipad in Reading

LOVE THIS!!! What a perfect example to show how technology can enhance learning! This video shows a system called the 3 R's- reread, record and reflect to improve fluency. The students are also given an assessment tool to judge how they have read. Programs like Read Naturally have a similar process but I really liked that students could pick any book in their skill level while practicing fluency. By reading books of their choice, they may have more of a commitment to the process. The students in this video are tech savvy enough to be independent. How do others feel about this type of fluency practice? I can see older students completing the "3 R's" especially if they had earphones to listen to their own voice/recording.

Five-Year-Olds Pilot Their Own Project-Based Learning | Edutopia

Five-Year-Olds Pilot Their Own Project-Based Learning | Edutopia
The integration of technology and content area instruction is shown in this video where teachers have planned  craft project based learning experiences for their students.  When I first started watching the video, I was surprised with the level of rigor for such young students but as the video continue I was more and more impressed with the use of authentic purposes for learning. My opportunities for this type of learning is not as frequent as I would like but this video shows how teachers can integrate all subjects while planning lessons.