3 plus 1 websites I found helpful

Whole Number Cruncher

Google

Science News for Kids

Animoto

I will go more in detail during my presentation.

End of Semester Reflection

At the beginning of class, I was really unaware. I had no idea that there were so many different technology and software out there that can be used in a classroom. But I'm still unsure about using cell phones in the classroom. I guess that is something I'm going to have to see in person before implementing it into my own class.

But who knew there were so many different ways to use Word or PowerPoint and Excel.

This class has just helped me to open my eyes to new possibilities and more creative ways to reach students who are aready so immersed into this technological culture.

In 5 years

I think that in 5 years my students and I will be using a lot more technology. I know in the Bellevue district there are lots of technology used in classrooms but I think that in 5 years other schools will be caught up as well.

For example, the Interactive WhiteBoard or the SmartBoard.
I already see lots of school changing their overheads to DocuCams.
It's still a new thing to me but I think that I would be using PodCast and other aids to help students at home.
Different sites online would be used more often, like the blogs/teacher websites/wiki.
Maybe we'll even have mini lap tops for individual students in class for writing assignments.

I'm sure there are other things out there that has not been publicized yet but what I mentioned above are things that I know for sure will be used in my class (if available).

Assignment #4

Start of school year video seen below.

This was a really fun assignment to work on. I had to first look for pictures that fit into the idea that I had in my head. Then I had to put it in the order that I wanted it on animoto.com along with the text I wanted to put on it. That was the fun and easy part.

I then had to film myself and edit that video on movie maker and add animoto to my computer so that I can add it along with my video. That was not as easy. And then adding in the voice over to fit the images going into the short video was a little hard but fun at the same time.

The technology I learned to use with this assignment was the programs on animoto. I learned to transfer pictures and short video clips from my brothers digital camera. And I also learned to add voice over the images being played on movie maker. I also had to learn how to transfer my video from my computer to photobucket.com to either a html or straight to my blog.

The NETS standards that are met are:

3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society. Teachers:
a. demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations
b. collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success
and innovation
c. communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats
d. model and facilitate effective use of current and

Since the students do not create anything there is no NETS*S. But my project fulfills the NETS*T that I have listed above because I am exhibiting a knowledge and sill in the digital society. I am also communicating relevant information and ideas to the students through the video.

Reflection #10

Whole Number Cruncher

This website is really great when first learned algebra. At first when I saw it I thought it would work best as an individual time that students have the option of doing during break.

But after playing with it more I learned that it actually works well for whole class guided practice.

You can engage the students and ask them what they believe the equation should be and make it into a game.

Reflection #9

We were learning about the different ways to use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint today in class.

Wow, I never knew the things you can do on them besides the standard things we use them for. I never thought Excel would be useful to me besides using it to create charts and whatnot, but I learned from Christina today that you can use it as a grade reference and also there are so many cool tricks on it like keeping the top half of the Excel sheet still while the bottom half can scroll down.

I was in the PowerPoint group and I learned that you can actually add narration throughout the PowerPoint.

And I didn't know there were "references" built in Word. And the whole translation system on Word is really useful.

Comments

I have made comments on the blogs of the following people:

Anna C.

Danielle T.

Loree F.

Hillary O.

Liliya P.

Word, Excel, Power point

I mostly use word and power point. I use word document for all my papers. I sometimes use word for fliers but usually I just use publisher. I know how to change font, add clip art, header, footer, etc. Power points are really fun to use for presentations or for slide shows at weddings, graduation parties, etc. Again, you can add clip art (but this time with animation) and change background settings, etc.

I don't use excel all that much. I used to use it to keep track of where I spend my money but now Capital One already does that for me so there is no point of me creating a whole new one. I can just keep track online.

But I do know that you can use excel to create graphs and charts as well as inputting different equations. So, for lessons, I can have the students use excel to create a graph, have them write a paper using word, then create a presentation that puts everything they learned together using power point.

reflection #8

I was tutoring the other day. I'm preparing him for his SSAT and TOEFL. We finished the workbook he had and I was preparing what to use next and looked online for some resources and ideas.

I simply "googled" it and BAM, tons of hits for new and old ideas. As I was writing reflection #7 I remembered how amazed I was at all this information at our finger tips.

Reflection #7

I was in math class today and we were supposed to take notes on what was presented via power point. But the slides were flipped through faster than I can write so I was getting frustrated.

Then I noticed someone in front of me taking a picture of the slides with her cell phone. And I realized that I had my camera in my bag. I pulled it out and took a picture of all the slides, big enough so that I can read it later when I download it onto my computer. Then I created a new power point and placed the pictures I took in them, creating my own power point fast and easy.

It's so easy to acquire knowledge. And it takes half the time as it would have taken just a couple years ago.

Online Learning

The website I visited and listened to was Leading the Change. The two people in this discussion are Charlene Chausis and Dennis Richards. It's really interesting how their video did not match the words spoken. The visuals in the video played straight through really fast while the speaker was speaking at a slower pace. The speakers would refer to the pictures that were supposed to be shown but the audience doesn't see what they're referring to. Also, they spoke like they were reading off a piece of paper that they never read before. It was very dry and monotonous. But here are the basics of what they were discussing.

3 stories:

1) Claiming what we imagining = (Spoken by Charlene) a principal wrote a book that indicated mind shaping is world shaping. How we think will effect the world. The superintendent for this school that the principal was at took this idea and learned more about technology. this superintendent is Dennis Richards. Web 2.0 was what was mentioned the most.

2) Learning Beyond Boundaries = Dennis is sharing his experience with Web 2.0. He speaks about little workshops that had technology sessions, especially containing that dealing specifically with Web 2.0. He emphasises that we need to engage students by using technology like Web. 2.0. He started workshops about Web 2.0 and how best to use this to engage students.

3) Kids improved Learning = (Spoken by Charlene) speaks about how Dennis promoted Stem subjects using Web 2.0. Then explains in detail how Dennis went about doing this. The kids were to create projects and learning experiences that will be projected globally.

Conclusion:

We need to become a learner again by learning to use Web 2.0. Dennis states that we need to have courage to expand and transform education by using new technology.

Software in Class

This is the second time that I am writing this blog. I wrote it the first time but when i tried to publish this post I was somehow logged out then i lost everything that i wrote before. So, I'm going to sum up what i wrote before.

Basically i wrote that the first program that we used dealing with the grading system was very helpful because it was not simply a grading system but also a way to communicate with the students about certain assignments. It also contained a spot where we can view our students contact information in a nice organized file.

The second software that we used was a lot more fun to play with. It's called the Kidspiration. I can see how this software can help students create a creative essay without becoming nervous about having to write so much for the first time.

This software also contained templates that may be helpful for teachers who want to relay information using the SmartBoard.

Blogs for Educators

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2009/03/william-vanns-edupic-graphical-resource.html

This site was from the blog link titled "Free Technology for Teachers."

At first I was thinking that this site was not all that great. I was looking through the free math sites and they were basically all video clips explaining how to solve a problem. And I thought, "Is it not my job as a teacher to be able to relay this type of information to the students?" Then I thought how I can send this website to parents who want to be more involved with their kids and want to know what we are covering in class.

Also I looked at other sites on this web page and found that there are actually a lot of free sites that allow teachers to use without worrying about copyrights and so on. For example, there is a site for free graphics (http://edupic.net/) that can be used in class when trying to illustrate what something is to the class.

Assignment #4

For my final project I will be using movie maker and animoto (those are my two different kinds of technology/software that I am required to have).

I will create an introduction movie clip that I will play as a teacher at the start of a new school year. This clip will allow students to get to know me a little bit and they will also come to understand what I expect from the students and what they should expect from me.

I hope this is an acceptable project to be working on.

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My progress thus far:

Well, I have the speech of what I want to say written out. I also have the layout written out so that I know what pictures I want for what and when I want that picture shown. All I have to do now is create the clip of myself for my intro of the movie clip then take pictures for animoto to create a slide show with.

Reflection #6

I was just playing with this after class and just realized once again how amazingly fast technology has advanced. And how much easier it has become to use it or access it.

Reflection #5

I was talking with a friend asking him what he thought about how society is moving more and more towards technology and he told me how he never thought about it.

It's interesting how the general population does not consider the fact that we are becoming more and more surrounded and dependent upon technology but rather just flows with society.

My future students will not be all that amazed at the technology I use, especially with the older children because it's already so much a part of their lives. This made me realize that even with technology I have the chance of loosing my students during direct instructions. Which means that I will continuously have to think of new ways to use the technology I have in order to capture my students attention.

Caught on Video

"videos just get the job done much better than mere words"

As I mentioned on my Reflection #4 people are getting a lot more visual than auditory. We like seeing the words that one person is trying to get across to another. When this author wrote mere words I think he meant spoken words.

People hear the words but they remember it so much better if it's written down or shown through a video when relaying information.

In video's we see a lot more words that are spoken actually written on the video so people can see what the speaker is saying.

My sister and I like watching videos with subtitles, not because we can't understand English or we're not very auditory but we feel like we get a lot more out of the movie if we can see the words that are spoken.

But going back to the article, I think the suggestions on different ways to use videos in a classroom is pretty fun and interesting. Especially the reflection of beginning goals to ending achievements.

It's an interesting way to have students self assess themselves.

Reflection #4

My mom and I discussed communication methods the other day and I learned something interesting.

In this day and age, we use the phone more for texting than calling.

My parents wanted to take off the unlimited texting and replace it with unlimited calling but my brother and I had problems with that because we mostly texted rather than called people.

And others would usually text us rather than call us as well.

This made me realize that we use more written language than the spoken one and how much technology changed (how much the phone changed) in it's usage.

Reflection #3

Today, I was playing memory with my younger brother on my computer. There is this one "cheat" where you can see all the cards for 2 seconds. I used that "cheat" and started memorizing all the cards I can match and my brother took out his cell phone and took a picture.

Making him the winner. ... :(

But after thinking about it, I realized how much of a difference there was between my brother and me when it came to technology. I would never have thought to have used another tech to play the game "memory."

In this day and age, not many people have to remember too many things as long as they have some type of technology with them. Phone numbers are all saved on the phone, information can be gained with a few clicks on the Internet, and so on and so on.

This makes me wonder as a future teacher on the ability of the younger generation and their memorization skills.

Comments

The blogs I have commented on are from the following people:

Anna C.

Bailey R.

Hilary O.

Loree F.

Liliya P.

Reflection #2

I went to Chinook Middle School today for observations and I noticed how in every class I was in there were at least three computers. One computer was in the form of a lap top the teachers received from the school for their lesson planning and to update grades. The second computer was usually at the front of the classroom to use along with the SmartBoard. The last computer was used for teachers to use during school hours if they wanted to leave their school lap top at home.

Every room was filled with technology. I remember in middle school how some classes didn't have a TV in the room so the teacher had to borrow the school TV that was brought into the classroom on the days that we needed it on a cart with wheels (for easy mobility) <-- which shows how many teachers needed it. Now, there are TVs in every room.

After Presentations

It was interesting to see the various ways to use the SmartBoard. You don't only have to use lessons provided by the SmartBoard but can use other websites that are interactive and fun.

Or you can just stick with the activities provided by SmartBoard because there are lots of lessons already made and great to use. It's like the foundation of a lesson you want to teach the students and if you don't like something about that pre-made lesson/activity then you can change it by adding something else to it or taking something away or even fixing a problem they made a mistake on.

Assignment #3

Learning Colors

The SmartBoard activity I chose to present is from the SmartBoard lesson activity for 3rd grade in the subject area of Arts and Design. This activity focuses on primary and secondary colors and how secondary colors are formed.

This activity meets NETs Standards in the following ways:

NETS*S:
1. Creativity and Innovation
a. apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.

2. Communication and Collaboration
b. communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a
variety of media and formats
3. Technology Operations and Concepts
a. understand and use technology systems
b. select and use applications effectively and productively

NETS*T:
2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools
resources to promote student learning and creativity
3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
c. communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents,
and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats

All the classrooms I have been to so far (for observations) had a SmartBoard. The teachers used them very naturally and it seemed that it was as effective as using a white board or power point (but still better because it is more interactive). I think it really just depends on the teacher and how effectively they are using it. Elementary students seem to have more fun with the SmartBoard than the middle school students but the fact that they help relay information to the students remain the same through all grade levels.

Assignment #2

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/
- This website is a good tool when explaining history to children. Not only does it contain factual information but it also has pictures to go along with it. You can use this site using the over head projector and have students read them or you can print out the pages and create a book of some sort.
- They even give you past advertisements and what they used to say to the public.
http://www.coolmath-games.com/0-math-lines-xfactor/index.html
- This site has fun math games that children can play during their break time.
- It doesn’t help much in a class learning setting, but it does help students learn on their own time in a fun way
http://www.free-reading.net/index.php?title=Main_Page
- Great page to help students learn to read
- Has downloadable picture cards/flash cards that you can use in class
- Lots of activities for reading given, or ideas on how to teach it
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java/scienceopticsu/powersof10/
- Cool science website that gives you teachers guide and student activities
- But it’s mainly about microscopes so it’s not as helpful unless you use microscopes in your classroom.

One way I can use del.icio.us in my classroom is to set it up so that all the students have access to it. This will be helpful to them when they need to research something they have all the useful sites close by. It narrows down what sites to look at instead of “googling” everything.
Another way to use del.icio.us is to share with other teachers and make sure we’re not only being kept accountable with the sources we use for our students but also to use other sources that teachers elsewhere may have found useful.

Reflection #1

says that this is really cool!!
There are lots of tools online THAT ARE FREE and so fun to use. I never knew things like this existed.

I especially love the classtools.net
- there was this one program on this page that allowed me to create a game using questions I either made up or found on this site. It was so much fun!! :)

Generation IM: Getting Through to Today's Teched-out Children

At first when I read that 67% of preschools use the internet I was shocked but then i realized that it made sense. Even in the public Libraries I see little children using the computer all the time, playing games online that the the Library set up for them.

The article's teaching suggestions are interesting. It's like the things we did in class when we were attending grade school but done electronically now. For example, the blog entry is just like when we used to have to write journals in class, but now they can just write it at home or wherever they can get access to the internet.

But at the same time it seems new, it seems like things I did in high school. For example, making videos and such. I think the newness comes from the fact that the things I did in high school are now (expected) <-- in parentheses because I couldn't think of another word... but as I was saying, the things I did in high school are now (expected) to be done in elementary school.

Small Group Hands-On Time

It was interesting how two people planning to teach the same grade level would like similar smart board activities. Christina and I were planning to pick two smart board activities each but it turned out that one of the smart board activity that we picked was the same one.

I think using the smart board was fun. But it's not too new to me because I use my tablet PC which acts like a smart board, just in smaller size.

Assignment #1

I have not been able to observe a classroom yet. But I do know I would like to incorporate technology in my future classroom. I would really like to use a smart board in the classroom. I would have to practice a lot with it, but I think that it will be well worth the practice. I would also use videos or other electronically made visuals.

http://firma.northwestu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com.firma.northwestu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ768929&site=ehost-live

The article I read was titled, “May the Force be White Board!” “Lee Bell, David Jones, Julia King, Claire Nicholson and Andrew Pinks describe a themed lesson that made maximum use of an interactive whiteboard” (pg. 1) An interactive whiteboard is very similar to the Smart board. I believe it is also not as expensive.

In this article, these graduating BA students wrote about their experience when teaching children about 2D shapes using an interactive white board (IWB). They initially played a game with the children on the IWB to get them used to it and to capture their attention. Then they went on to show a clip on the IWB that explained what 2D shapes were (something they created). Then they used a “spotlight” program to hide the 2D picture and show only parts of what they wanted the children to see. Then they would have them guess what shape they were looking at.

But they didn’t only use the IWB, they also had the children create 2D shaped aliens with shapes already cut out for them in groups. Then each group would pick one alien that they liked and would come up to the IWB and draw what they decided upon (I think that they could have told the teacher what shapes were needed and in which order they were to be placed so that there is more emphasis on learning the names of the shapes that they’re using).
In order to keep the children on task, they would put a “timer” on the IWB so that the children will know how much more time they have before they have to stop.

The conclusion of this article was really interesting. They noted that just because the children can use the IWB didn’t mean they had to continuously come up and play with it. In fact it was an unwise use of time. Because they realized that as much as the children enjoyed playing with the IWB themselves, they were also really happy just watching the teacher play with the IWB.

I thought it really interesting how this group of students used the IWB as a way to get the children’s attention at the beginning of class. From this article I got the feeling that they used up too much time by having the students continuously come up to the IWB and interact with it. I think it really is important to note that just because the children can use the IWB doesn’t mean that they should only rely on that. And technology shouldn’t be used in a way to entertain the children but to effectively teach students with a greater number of participation.

National Educational Technology (NET) http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=NETS

NET standards for teachers (2008): Important because it helps to capture student’s attention which will help them learn or have the desire to learn. The standards for teachers are:
1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility
5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership

NET standards for students (2007): Important because students now live in a generation where it’s all about the technology. So, they need to know how to use it, when to use it, and the different ways to use it. The standards for students are:
1. Creativity and Innovation
2. Communication and Collaboration
3. Research and Information Fluency
4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
5. Digital Citizenship
6. Technology Operations and Concepts

New to HTML

I initially thought that it would be really hard trying to create a website. But as long as it’s just the basics, it’s not so bad.

It was really fun playing with the various codes, to try and design the page the way I wanted it to look. At times, it was frustrating to try and match what I see on my page and what I see in my mind, but in the end, with a lot of patience, I was able to accomplish it.

Website of Clyde Hill Elementary School

http://www.bsd405.org/default.aspx?tabid=113

The first thing that popped out to the viewers of this website are the lists of the different ethnic backgrounds of the students enrolled at Clyde Hill Elementary School. Currently there is a 1% population of African Americans, 27% of Asians, 2% of Hispanics, no Native Americans, 61% of Whites, and 9% of Multi-Ethnic groups.

Other aspects of this website include: Clyde Hill’s goal, average class size, average district expenditure per student, condition of the school, their assessments (WASL), their improvement plans, what’s specially offered to students at the school, and how parents can get involved.

That last part was what really got my interest. I already knew that parents can join PTSA (parent-teacher-student association) but I didn’t know things like VIBES (volunteers in Bellevue’s Education system) existed.

For those of you who do not know, VIBES is a volunteer program where parents may volunteer to help out a classroom for an hour. They can either help one specific student the whole hour or go around and help various students in need.

"Adopt or Adapt: Shaping Tech for the Classroom"

I understand why Marc Prensky would feel frustrated at seeing teachers not using technology to its fullest capabilities. But it seems as if Prensky is a bit too enthusiastic about the use and value of technology.

Prensky’s response to the statement that “Some people will no doubt worry that, with all this experimentation, our children's education will be hurt,” was an emphasis on how much faster students will learn if only teachers would implement more technology into the classroom and curriculum. Then Prensky went on stating that, “the faster kids [students who comprehended the lesson faster] would work with and pull up the ones who were behind.”

First of all, Prensky never addressed the issue about students who might get hurt from the experiment of implementing new ways of teaching with technology. Secondly, I disagree with the second part of what Prensky said about faster kids helping the kids behind. I understand that this would be the ideal way of learning but it’s unrealistic to believe that the kids who advance faster than others will willingly help the kids behind. If the students were good natured enough to do this, their parents may not want them to be in a class where they spent their time helping other kids when they can be advancing even more elsewhere.

But I do agree with the fact that technology needs to be implemented into a classroom more and more because the next generation of students are becoming more and more immersed in the world of technology. But I believe that this should be done gradually. A little test here and there to see if something works or not is better than completely changing the way a classroom works and its curriculum.

Why Teaching?

I really enjoy working with the younger generation. The way their mind works and how they process new information always intrigued me. So, I thought of various careers that would allow me to work with the younger generation. Out of all the possibilities I found that teaching was what suited me best. I started to help out at church with the Children’s Ministry and then moved on to teaching Sunday school and Bible studies.

Sharing about the love of Christ and digging deep in the Word of God with the youth kids was really fun but I felt like something was missing. So during the summer last year I helped out with a Summer LEAP program of 2008 and found out that it was very fun helping the new fourth graders learn in advance what they may learn in the new school year. This experience truly made me realize that this was what I wanted to do.