Interactive White Boards

I have never really used an interactive whiteboard (in fact I never knew there was anything other than a smart board) in a classroom because none of the schools I have been at had one. In a few of my college classes we briefly played around with them and I thought they were cool, but I never really figured out how the use them. In C I 556 I have learned how they can be used and how to ‘maneuver’ around them. I really like the Promethean board that we have in the classroom. It seems easy to use and I really like how it can be adjusted to a lower height for kids. After watching that short clip about a teacher in Atlanta who used his Promethean board in his elementary school classroom, I realized they can be used at any age and can be used to involve and keep the attention of an entire class. Its also cool how you can use multiple programs on it such as the internet and search engines, Microsoft word and power point, and such programs as imovie and kidpix, and allow the entire class to view what you are doing. It is a better visual tool to engage learners. It seems like a good technology tool to have in the classroom and I hope I have access to one when I get a classroom.

iPods and Podcasting in the Classroom

Today in class we played around with iPods and learned about podcasting and how it can be used in the classroom. I had used some of the things we talked about, such as the recording, but most of the stuff I had never used before. I did one of my research articles on iPods in the classroom and I have thought of their uses in the classroom before. Today I got more ideas! I had heard of using iPods as a good tool to give students with learning problems their tests. This way they can repeat a question if they need and they can take the test on their own, not with a class around. I had also heard of using iPods as a center tool and today we learned some creative ideas to do with them at these centers. You can have students listen to a recorded book while following along. Students can watch certain educational television programs that relate to the topic they are learning. Students can record themselves reading and then listen to themselves. The last center topic that I will talk about is podcasting. As we learned there are a few types of podcasts: audio, audio with images, and video. These can be great tools for students as long as you find appropriate ones. Students could listen to such things as a book or a task that they have to follow. They could listen to a topic while seeing still images of that topic. Or, they could watch a video podcast such as a short clip from National Geographic or another education topic. iPods are small and easy to carry around and use. I think they are great for classrooms and could be used in many creative ways.

Is Education 1.0 Ready for Web 2.0 Students?

We live in a world where the only internet our students know is Web 2.0. I have often heard the word Web 2.0 (we have a list of Web 2.0 websites in our C I 556 notebook), but I never really knew what it meant. In this article, Is Education 1.0 Ready for Web 2.0 Students? By John Thompson, it states Web 2.0 as being a read/write medium whereas Web 1.0 is only a read medium. This makes sense. When I was growing up you could only look up websites, never add to them. Today, we live in a world full of social networking. Students are constantly posting on such websites as Facebook and Myspace. Even some research sights such as Wikipedia can be added to by anyone. As we start teaching our students are going to get more and more technologically advanced. So how do we teachers make sure we are good ‘leaders’ for our students? Well, we need keep up with the technology, which Web 2.0 is a big part of. This article is aimed more for higher education, but it is important for all ages. Students as young as pre-school are using the internet. But besides our students just using the internet, we can incorporate Web 2.0 into the classroom. There are multiple websites and programs and blogs and social networking. As long as technology and the web are upgrading constantly, we as teachers need to stay on top of things!

Thompson, John. (2007). Is Education 1.0 Ready for 2.0 Students? Accessed June 22, 209 from Journal of Online Education. 3(4). Website: http://innovateonline.info/index.php

Blogging in the Classroom

Now I have never had a blog before this class because well, I never really like writing. I thought the main purpose of a blog was to just write about your day, sort of a journal or diary available to the public. Once I started learning more about blogging though, through C I 556, I realized that blogging can be used for so much more than just personal thoughts or ideas. I realized that it is a place where people can discuss different topics, share different ideas, and let others know about new things. You can share personal or professional information. One thing I had never considered before was using it in the classroom. After reading articles about blogging and discussing it in class I realized that blogging might actually be a good idea in the classroom. One of the main things that I liked was the idea of having student’s journal a few times a week. The article we read talked about how this allows students to just free write about a topic of their choice, and then the teacher can easily read it and comment back on it, as well as other students. The part I really liked about this was that it saved the teacher the trouble of lugging the journals home and back and then having to search through them to find the latest entry. Also, you don’t have to worry about not being able to read their handwriting! I also thought blogging would be a good way for students to share things with their classmates such as stories or poems the write. When it comes to using blogs in the classroom there are some things teachers need to make sure of. They need to get school and then parent permission and make it private so that only the class, and maybe parents, can access it. I think blogging can be used at any grade, but would be better suited for upper elementary. Also, it needs to be monitored. Teachers need to make sure the students are posting appropriate content. Lastly, the students need to have fun with it. It is more of an activity than an assignment. There are so many things out there to write about, why not share them with others!

iPods in Education

After taking C I 201 sophomore year I realized that such things as iPods, an electronic device known for storing music, could be used in the classroom. I hadn’t really thought about this much until recently when I was introduced to the TPACK model and started thinking of ways to incorporate technology into the classroom. I decided to research iPod use because I myself have gone through two different models of the iPod and I am a fan of them. I looked on Google scholar and found an article titled The Use of iPods in Education. It appears to be an essay written by what I am assuming is a group of college students. The article starts out talking about when iPods were invented, who invented them, and how they came to be what they are today. The article then goes on to talk about how colleges are incorporating iPods into certain classes how they are researching the use and significance of iPods in class. I feel like after reading about this that iPods are definitely a good thing to have in college. You can take notes on them, record lectures, and transport them everywhere you go easily. Also, it saves on paper. This article didn’t just talk about the use of iPods in the college setting. It gave some examples of using them in schools. I learned that even the youngest of grades can use them. The article talked about how “students can use iPods to listen to letters and construct words such as bat, fat, pat, pad, and so on, and soon move on to higher learning by constructing new words.” I have also heard examples of slower test takers using iPods to take tests. The iPod will read the question for them and also allows them to repeat the question if needed. After reading this I thought of some other ways teachers could incorporate iPods into their classrooms. I like the idea of podcasting. You could have a station where students listen to different podcasts, whether they are books on tapes or some sort of oral instruction given without the teacher physically being there. Students could record themselves reading or explaining some activity and listen to it later. I have always been told that recording yourself and then listening to it is beneficial, it is sort of a reflection. You could also have students organize different activities, power points, podcasts, pictures/videos, etc., keeping their things all together and reducing the use of paper. I definitely think iPods are useful in the classroom and they will just keep getting more and more advanced and able to do more and more things.
Bandzwolek, Chaney, Shriner, and Snair. (2006). The Use of iPods in Education. Retrieved June 16, 2009 from Google Scholar. Web site: http://tiger.towson.edu/~kshine1/final.pdf

Flip Cameras

On Monday we were split into groups of four. The only thing we were told to do was read the book our group was assigned by Wednesday. My group was assigned the book The Eleventh Hour: A Curious Mystery by Graeme Base. This book is a mystery, fiction, children’s book about an elephant who is having his eleventh birthday party. For his party he makes a feast. His guests are excited for the feast but first they must partake in the festivities. As they are playing the games something suspicious happens, the feast is eaten. To the disappointment of all the guests no one fesses up to it. It is the job of the reader to figure out the clues and figure out which guest ate the feast. Today in class we were told our assignment. We were to create a visual book talk over this book using a flip camera. I had never heard of or seen a flip camera before but I was impressed by it. It is small and hand held and displays good video quality. I think as a teacher it would be very cool to have in the classroom. A book talk is just one of the cool activities you could have your students do with a flip camera. The camera holds up to an hour, some more, of footage. I think for most activities that would be more than enough time. After learning about the flip camera I was thinking about other activities you could do in the classroom with it. I think it would be a quick and easy way to film a student reading. In tutoring my tutee has a problem of substituting words. By filming her she could go back and read along with the video, or just watch, and realize her mistakes. This would help her to see that she needs to read the entire word, not just the first letter. You could also use it to film such things as reader’s theater and project presentations. It could be used by students to do the activity we did today, film a book talk. Allow students to plan what they want to talk about, where and what they want to film (as long as it can be done, and let them get to work. It could be used for multiple activities and it is so easy to use, even young children could run them. When it comes to putting them on the computer, a mini-lesson would work to help explain it. I will definitely look into getting a flip camera for my classroom.

Keyboarding

Today in class we discussed keyboarding and when it should be taught. I remember first being taught keyboarding in my sixth grade computer class. The class was everyday for a quarter of the year and was required of everyone. This was the same for seventh and eighth grade. After that, no more computer or keyboarding classes. In computer class we would have to type from a book to practice being a fast and accurate typer, using Microsoft Word. We created a power-point, but that was the extent to the programs we used. Now that computers are such an integral part of our lives, I believe keyboarding should be taught at a younger age than middle school. In my fifth grade student teaching I noticed how some students were very good typers and some struggled so much I thought they would never finish. I felt that by fifth grade they should all be able to type at least some. The problem was that this school didn’t have a computer lab. During practicum I was also in a fifth grade room and that school did have a computer lab. A few times a week the students had computer class with a computer teacher who taught them keyboarding and had them use different computer programs. They did some really neat stuff on the computer. Today really opened my eyes to the importance of keyboarding. I had never really thought about it being a necessary skill in the classroom. However, after creating our pro and con lists, I realized that just as Dr. Schmidt said, in this day in age it is a life skill. Here are a few of the things we came up with for the pros and con’s of learning keyboarding at a younger age.

Pros
· Helps improve motor development
· Gives more opportunity for creativity with lessons
· Helps guide them for the future
· Is quicker than writing
· Can be used as a better organization tool than a notebook, saves paper

Cons
· May be pricy
· May add more time than needed to a lesson
· Students may be on all different levels depending on who has access at home
· Access to computers may be limited
· Teachers may have to teach it as opposed to a more qualified computer teacher

This was just a sample of the full list we made in class. After weighing the pros and cons, I am in favor of incorporating keyboarding and more computer usage into the classroom. I think it will open more doors for new and more creative lessons and will benefit students in the future.

Digital Storytelling

In class we started talking about digital storytelling. When I took C I 201 I created a digital story over the Great Depression: Bootlegging. It was a good topic but it wasn’t personal to me. In class we were shown examples of past students’ digital stories. They all had something more to them than mine did. They were all personal, giving the narration a little something extra and invoking the story with emotion. When I saw these a few things popped into my head. First, what to do my topic over? Next, what is something I have a lot of pictures of? And last, does it need to be an on-going event or can it be a one day ordeal? After thinking about these three questions I started brainstorming ways of incorporating this project into the classroom. This project may seem pretty advanced, but after watching an eight year old girl give a digital story over her experience with learning to read, I realized anyone can make a digital story, even younger children. The things you need to think about with having them do something like this is what topic they will do it over and how they will put it together. I think this project can be done over multiple topics in almost any subject. It can be personal, funny, imaginative, informative, emotional, and the list goes on. As far as putting it together, something like I-movie works great. It is easy to use and most people could learn how to use it after a mini-lesson over it. Lastly, I was thinking about how you would grade it. I think a rubric would work best. Rubrics let students know exactly what is needed from them. Now all I have to do is think of a topic and create my digital story.

Constructivist Approaches to Literacy

The last few days in C I 556 have been fun filled. Yesterday we created a poem. We were given the sentence "When the _________ went to the __________." We then filled in the blanks, added a picture, and narrated it. It was fun. I really like the idea of using something else and rewording it to make it your own. We used the poem "When the Vampire went to the Bloodbank". We just took out Vampire and Bloodbank and filled in our own words, creating a new saying. Our other task was to make sure that lines two and four rhymed. I think this would add a little challenge to the task, especially for children. This was a creative way to incorporate technology (powerpoing) with literacy (the poem). I think this type of lesson could be done with all kinds of things such as books, poems, songs, etc. It was fun yet made us think.

Next, we were given a challenge. We were given a powerpoint to look at that had clues on it. We were then given the task of figuring out 'Willie's' height, weight, real name, and the color of his socks and shirt by using the clues from the powerpoint. I really liked this. It was challenging and kids love guessing games. It really made me think, it even incorporated some math! Once we found the correct answers we were to draw a picture of what we thought Willie looked like, using Kidpix. This was an added reward for finding the correct answers. Not only was it fun, it made us think and visualize what we thought Willie looked like, and it made us use our creativity when drawing. These types of activities can be done for all subjects. They really engage the learner in the activity. I thought it was very fun but definitely had me thinking.


Today we worked in groups and created a visual storytelling project. We were given forty minutes and a camera to take pictures of what we thought represented Iowa State. My group took Cy-ride to Alumni hall, got some pictures of the buses, the Cy statue, and Stephens Auditorium and Hilton Coliseum. We then took the bus back to campus where we got some pictures of such things as the campanile and chipmunks. When we got back to class we chose our 10 favorite pictures and created a visual storybook. We added text to go along wiith the pictures and it turned out very nice. This type of activity can be over anything and can be done by almost any age. You could even do this with five year olds, just adjusting it a little. For a child I would probably give them less time for pictures, fewer pictures to take/fewer slides to add text to, and I would not let them venture where ever they wanted. However, it would still be a fun activity and would allow them to have fun taking the pictures, and then add the content part to it by having them write about the pictures they took. It was a fun way to have students create a story or book.

I-Spy

Today in class we put to use the I-Spy pictures we took on friday. On friday, in groups, we laid out ten items that each of us brought in a pile and took a picture. Our only task was to make sure that two of the items rhymed. Our group chose glue and brown shoe. Today in class we learned how to make these pictures into an I-Spy page. We picked out a few items from our picture and using a power point we wrote:

I Spy...a paper clip, a sheep, keys, and glue,
a headband, a pen, a quarter, and a brown shoe.

or something along those lines. We are going to them combine them with the other groups I Spy pictures, making and I Spy book. This is something that is very fun and could easily be done in a class. All you would need is a camera, a computer, and powerpoint (you could even use microsoft word if needed). It would be a creative way to get older students to use vocabulary, rhyming, alliterations, etc., while also incorporating technology. This is yet another example of the TPACK model. It is so easy to find fun, creative, and educational lessons using this model once you start using it and thinking about it.

Social Networking

When it comes to social networking, you have to watch out for the dangers just like in everything else. Social networking can be a good resource if you use it correctly. The articles we read about social networking stated the good and bad of social networking, while also stating different peoples opinions. Being a person who is in the social networking system, I too have an opinion of whether social neworking should or should not be used in the classroom. I think that as long as you are cautious and responsible for what you display, why not have them in the classroom. It is an easy and accessible to way to get information. It is yet another way to integrate technology into the classroom, the TPACK model. The Richardson article talked about you as long as you stress rules and civil discourse, students should be ok in the social networking world. With everything we do there is a risk. Why not let students use this system? If it is in a classroom the teacher is most likely going to make it private, making it so that what ever information the student puts up the public is not eligible to see. The Barker/Favata article gives a few good ways social networking systems can be used in the classroom. They can be used for differentiated instruction, to access digital libraries, and to help build a global learning community. Again, as long as you are careful what you put up and what you write on these systems (show some courtesy), you will be ok in the social networking world.

Mixing literature with technology

Today was a really fun class. We learned how to mix literature with technology. The first thing we did was we expirimented with Kid Pix for a little while. Kid Pix is very cool and even being an adult, I find it very entertaining. We read the book Spilt Milk by Charles D. Shaw, a book that shows different shapes spilled milk made and how they look like other things, and then used Kid Pix to create our own page of "spilt milk". I was surprised at how easy it was to draw using the computer. After I created my page, a giraffe, I was curious to see what other people drew. It was very neat and I feel like Kid Pix could be used for numerous activities involving literature. Next we read another book, Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins. This book was about a hen who went for a walk and it used a lot of prepositions to decribe where the hen went. We then did something neat to mix technology with this book. In small groups we made our own 'walk' books using a digital camera. We did different things that involved prepositions and then put our pictures with text in a power point. I had fun doing this and I feel like it was not only fun, but got the lesson or idea of prepostions across, a good example of the TPACK method. Last, we were assigned to bring ten random items to class today. In our same small groups we put all our items together and took a picture of them. This created an "I-Spy" picture. The idea was to find two things that rhymed in the picture. We had glue and shoe. I thought this was very creative. As a kid I loved the I-Spy books. I think kids would love getting to make their own. This is just another way of having fun yet learning something, in this case looking for objects that rhyme. Today was a fun class and I really enjoy doing different activities. We are getting a lot of fun ideas of how to incorporate technology into literature.

This week I started classes to earn my reading endorsement. For this particular class, C.I. 556, we are to create a blog and make weekly posts on it over class, discussions, journal articles... anything related to technology and teaching. On our first day in class we went to a cool website called wordle.net where we each made a wordle about ourselves. This was very neat and I liked how we could change such things as the color, font, and how the words were arranged. I think this site could be incorporated into multiple different subjects and topics when it comes to teaching, not just reading/writing. I think students would love to just mess around with it and make it personalized. I will defninitely keep this weeksite book marked for when I get a classroom.

Last night for reading and today in class we discussed the TPACK model. The TPACK model stands for technical pedagogical and content knowledge. This model is used to show how teachers incorporate the three aspects of technology, pedagogy, and content together. I always knew that technology could be incorporated into the aspects of pedagogy and content, but I never thought about how many different ways it could be incorporated or how many different technologies there were. In class we made a list for the categories of technology, pedagogy, and content. It made me realize all the possiblities where you could use the TPACK model. The next step is to use our creative minds and find fun yet educational ways to use the TPACK model in our classrooms!