Tuesday, June 15, 2010
After 11 Tools
While I did have some difficulty with a few of the lessons, it really wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I still need to do some practicing on my own, but I do feel more confident with using these tools and technology in my classroom.
I was surprised by how simple a lot of these tools are. I was dreading the course because I thought I would be getting a lot of migraines from things not working correctly and I thought I wouldn't understand how to do the assingments. It was actually easy and I learned a lot of things that I can use in my classroom!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Tool #11
1. Once you write something or send something, you can't take it back. I want my students to understand that a lot of people could see what they put on the Internet. They need to be careful when they post things and what they post about.
2. Don't copyright. If you take an original idea or picture, video, etc. from somewhere else, you need to document it. It something has a copyright, don't take it all.
3. Don't trust everything you read or see online. I think it is important that students know that the Internet has great information and sources. However, you have to make sure you are on a trusted site (and there are plenty of great, trusty-worthy sites on the Web).
I think one way to teach digital citizenship is to model for the students what you want to see from them. I think it is important to also cover being a good digital citizen in class before letting them use the technology. I think this would even be a great lesson for community circle/character education time.
Tool #10
I haven't had an opportunity to look at either device.
As I mentioned above, I think downloading the Math Drills Lite app to either one would be a great way for them to practice. Students could use an iPad or iTouch during centers/stations to practice math facts. They could also research by using apps, such as NASA. I think both of these devices would be great motivators to get the "hard-to-motivate" student interested in learning. They might actually want to participate if the technology is involved.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Tool #9
Skype would be great to connect my students with students in the district, other states, and other countries! It would be great to be able to talk to people that have experience in what we are talking about, but are not in our area. For example, if we were discussing a historical place, it would be great to Skype with someone in that location that could actually show the students a live view of the place.
Tool #8
1. The first video shows a space shuttle taking off. I could use this when we study space. Most of my students have never seen a shuttle take off. I think they would love to see his.
2. The second video, Jane Addams and the Hull House, was a great find for me! I had never been able to find much on Jane Addams and YouTube had several videos available.
I can use both of these videos in class to enhance my students' learning. The first video gives them a real-life look at what happens when the shuttle takes off. However, seeing it actually launch will give them a better idea of what happens during the launch. The second video has a lot of simple information and great pictures that will enhance my lesson on why Jane Addams is a good citizen.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Tool #7
Well, it has taken me all afternoon to get my digital story uploaded! Overall, it has been an interesting experience! Actually putting it together was not as hard as I thought it would be. I had to find pictures twice, because the first time I wasn't sure if the pictures were copyrighted. So, I searched again for copyright-free pictures, just to make sure. Trying to get it uploaded was a long process. However, it finally did it! I wish my pictures would be clearer and the writing would show better, but overall I am satisfied with my first digital story! I am also glad I was able to accomplish the task!
I think this would be a great way to end a unit for the students. It would get them interested because they can use technology. As a teacher, I can check to see how much they understood and could even see using this in place of a typical test at the end of a unit.