Technology Integration: What I've Learned...

This blog post is a reflective post; A reflection on my experience in my Teaching through technology course. I have learned a great deal in this course. First and foremost, I have learned about all of the web-based tools and materials available for me, to help better integrate technology into my classroom. I have learned how to research and use that research to drive my instruction. Another thing that I learned about (what I believe the course was built around), was how to properly construct a Website. While learning how to build my website, I have learned about all the tools I can use to strengthen the school-home connection, tools to help better engage the students in the classroom and tools to build stronger more prepared 21^st century students.

One of the many things I took away from this course (which may sound silly) is I had no idea that there were actual technology standards out there. I plan on using these in all my lessons in the future. Especially, with my school beginning our new chapter next year, evolving into a STEAM themed school, technology will be a STRONG focus in all aspects of our day.

I have always enjoyed technology. I have always found it very important to integrate into my school day. It started in my generation and I was always exposed to it in school. I don’t think that my thinking has changed at all in this course; I feel that this course has only helped strengthen my thoughts and theories on technology integration.

One resource that I enjoyed learning about was the Wordle and everyone’s ideas on how to integrate them into the classroom was amazing. I plan on using them next year as a beginning of the year activity for my kids. I am going to have them tell me everything about them, qualities, adjectives, talents, favorite things (color, food, subject, etc.), then I am going to create a Wordle using those words. Their Wordle will end up taking the shape of their silhouette. This is just one way I have taken something I have learned from this course and transformed it in a way to help make it work in my classroom.  I remember a specific discussion in this course around “Online Lesson Planning”, I felt that this was a very good discussion because that is what schools are shifting towards. I had stated, “…you don't have to stop learning about this topic in the classroom. You can go home and show your family, teach them and continue to learn yourself in the comforts of your own home!” I was talking specifically about the WebQuest, but this can be applied to any technology based tool you use in your classroom. Whether it be with a blog, Edmodo, another Web 2.0 tool (scootpad, Khan Academy, xtramath, etc.).

Overall, my experience in this course was a very positive one. I have learned a lot, not only from the actual course, but also through my peers. I was always engaged and ultimately this is exactly what I expect my students will be like as I integrate technology more and more into my teaching. 

Equal Access to the Digital World!

Long before technology integration was even mentioned in schools, school systems were already battling equal access in education. Learning opportunities were not the same for all students. Students who were labeled "at risk" typically attended schools with fewer resources and opportunities for meaningful learning. The introduction of technology in schools has created a digital world that every student has the ability to access. Education technology creates equal learning opportunities in many different ways. 

• Telecommunications (skype, FaceTime, etc)
• Interactive services (ie: social media, WebQuests)
• Online Documents/Files (ebooks, online libraries, google docs, etc)

Online Learning has also allowed all students (at every age) equal  access to education. Some families are in situations where they are not able to attend school on-campus and online learning gives them an opportunity to learn and get an education from home. Military members can still access education through technology while deployed overseas. Technology, in a way, has helped bridge the gap between those students who are at serious risk to those that are thriving. It has provided all students equal access to the tools that they need to succeed. 

THE AMAZON RAINFOREST 

 (http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/)

GOOD AFTERNOON PARENTS AND STUDENTS! 

As part of our Ecosystem studies we will be exploring the tropical rainforest using technology in the classroom. We will be going on a mission through a webquest. A webquest is an inquiry-oriented lesson format in which students collect information in the form of tasks through the web. The WebQuest was designed for 1st grade students studying ecosystems. They have studied all of the different ecosystems around the world, but as a class we have spent the majority of the time studying the Topical Rainforest Ecosystem. Groups of students will go on a mission with Captain Rainmaker through the rainforest, making discoveries and conducting research all along the way. When Captain Rainmaker and the students complete their research and finish their mission, they will have 3 different choices on how they will present their findings to other students and adults informing them on, how and why we should protect the tropical rainforest. The students FINAL mission will be done in pairs. Students will go on a scavenger hunt around the school using QR codes and Twitter (to communicate with me). They will record their answers on a QR code template and this will be used as their final assessment on the tropical rainforest ecosystem.

Thank you! 

Mrs. Young  

Educational Value of Animoto...

I would use this short video clip as a hook to draw the students into the unit. I want students to start thinking about what it is we will be learning about in the unit, questions they may have, things that they saw, how are they connected? We will brainstorm a list of things that they saw in the video and begin to think about what this unit is all about. I think videos are a great way to engage an audience. At the end of the unit, students should be able to watch this video again and tell me exactly what happened to the Rain Forest and answer our essential question, How will you protect the Earth? 

Implementation of Tagxedo in my WebQuest...

My WebQuest is geared to a 1-2 classroom, I plan on using my Wordle (Tagxedo) much like a K-W-L chart, as well as, a tool to measure growth. Before I begin my unit on ecosystems, I would have the students create a Wordle on everything they KNOW about ecosystems already. they would incorporate the word ecosystem, terms they know and questions they have about ecosystems into their initial Wordle. While we go through the unit, the students ecosystem knowledge would increase. Then at the end of the unit, I would have students create another Wordle on what they have LEARNED. That is them "L" part of the K-W-L and the final assessment to measure the students growth. This will be a great way for students to visually see what they have learned, to review their initial Wordle to see if they can answer any of their questions and a wonderful outline for students to take away from the entire unit.

-Erin :-)