I think my favorite Tech tool I learned this week is the wiki. I have a lot more to learn about it, but I have a few ideas about how to use it. One is to open the wiki to parents and grandparents of 5th and 6th grade students so they can share their experiences and learn from each other. My concern is that the scope might be too big. Maybe I will start smaller.
Since I am not a classroom teacher, I only have the students for 4o minutes a week, so I thinnk I am going to have to contact some forward thinking open minding teachers to work with me to get one of these projects started in their class where they will have more time.
We do have SmartBoards and i have already contacted our Tech Services department and requested the Lessons Activity toolkit, Number Crunchers and Speller for SmartBoards, and that CPS software be added to our district build (Collection of software that is avaialable on every computer in the district.
Alan Fischer is in the process of creating a public wiki where teachers can share websites and lessons that correclate with each one of the GLCEs. I already requested and was granted permission to join his wiki. I think it is going to be extremely valuable. He said I could share it with the teachers I work with so they can join and add their information.
It would be extremely useful if this group could get together again to see how we have all used what we learned. I have learned so much from the peole around me this week and have made contact with people both within my district and in a neighboring district. I will try to stay in contact via email or one of the many web 2.o tools we've learned this year.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Yugma
I don't know if it is Yugma, but Monroe has something similar. Basically we use it for tech support. This works very well for fixing software issues that are related to properties or settings that just have to be reset. In the past you would put in a request for a problem you were having and wait sometimes days for tech services to address your problem. Now, you can email or call tech support and they can take control of your screen and change the setting or whatever is causing the problem. I have seen this in action and it is beautiful.
At Monroe, there is a program called Cross-Tech which is on the teacher's work station in the lab and on one of the computers on the COWs. This program allows the teacher to take control of the screens on the students work station. This is particulary helpful when you need to get attention because you can lock all the screens so no action can take place and give the students the verbal instruction you need to. I also use this program to demonstrate new software or how to do a particular assignment.
This is great in a work setting, but for your personal computer I don't think I would want anyone to have access to/ or control of my computer. It's a little out of my security comfort zone.
At Monroe, there is a program called Cross-Tech which is on the teacher's work station in the lab and on one of the computers on the COWs. This program allows the teacher to take control of the screens on the students work station. This is particulary helpful when you need to get attention because you can lock all the screens so no action can take place and give the students the verbal instruction you need to. I also use this program to demonstrate new software or how to do a particular assignment.
This is great in a work setting, but for your personal computer I don't think I would want anyone to have access to/ or control of my computer. It's a little out of my security comfort zone.
SKYPE
We only had the chance to learn about SKYPE in a general way, but I will definitely find time to look into this in more depth. From what I've learned so far, you will need a web camera, a microphone, earphones (optional) and a computer. Someone in class said i-chat has been around for years and it has similar features.
CLykowski, a fifth grade teacher from Bedford used skype in a class project she did with her class co authoring owrk sith a class from Columbia. The web site for their wiki is globalexplorers.wikispaces.com, http://jenuinetech.com/, imagiserve.org
CLykowski, a fifth grade teacher from Bedford used skype in a class project she did with her class co authoring owrk sith a class from Columbia. The web site for their wiki is globalexplorers.wikispaces.com, http://jenuinetech.com/, imagiserve.org
Professional Devlopment
I have taken an on-line course through ed2go, which was listed in the Michigan Learn Port. The classes are offered through Washtenaw Community College and Henry Ford Community College. There is a cost of about $90.00 for the class,which qualifies for 2.4 SB-CEU. The format is easy to follow once you are on-line. I enjoyed my experience and plan to take more in the future.
I took a look at the TED website and found this video on how to make an interactive whiteboard with a nintendo Wii remote control and somekind of infrared self made pen. Check it out.
I took a look at the TED website and found this video on how to make an interactive whiteboard with a nintendo Wii remote control and somekind of infrared self made pen. Check it out.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
My Thoughts on GoogleDocs
I like the idea that people don't have to buy expensive software applications in order to create computerized documents.
The online applications were slow and that can be frustrating. At times it even seemed to be frozen.
I liked the fact that multiple users could edit the document, but I wonder if there will be the same problem we had with the wiki when several people tried to update the data, some was lost.
The online applications were slow and that can be frustrating. At times it even seemed to be frozen.
I liked the fact that multiple users could edit the document, but I wonder if there will be the same problem we had with the wiki when several people tried to update the data, some was lost.
Survey Attempt
Here is the URL for the survey I created with Google Docs
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=pveZBzmx-J2Hx_O37Tp41Ag
Here's another to see if I remembered the process.
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=pveZBzmx-J2G_UBMh5jlXUw
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=pveZBzmx-J2Hx_O37Tp41Ag
Here's another to see if I remembered the process.
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=pveZBzmx-J2G_UBMh5jlXUw
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
WIKI
WIKI
I think learning to use the WIKI has a fairly big learning curve, but I thnik it has huge potential for communication within all kinds of groups. one class, two classes, multple classes. School community, world as a whole.
My plan is to try to use the wiki to have students and their parents and grandparents share their experiences with a specific topic so that they can learn from each other.
My first topic is for 5th and 6th grade students and their adult family members to enter a paragraph in the wiki about what they used to collect information for a research project and how they shared that information. I specified that each person entering a comment should enter the year they were in sith grade. I guess my next step is to contact wikispaces and have them create a list of usernames and passwords, so I don't have to deal with that headache during class time. My plan is to have the parents and grnaparents use the students username and password. I'll call it the family username and password. I still have a lot to learn about WIKIs.
Podcasting
My students briefly explored Audacity last year and it truly is a motivator. I was considering having them create a welcome back to school podacast. Maybe working in groups of 3 or 4.
I think learning to use the WIKI has a fairly big learning curve, but I thnik it has huge potential for communication within all kinds of groups. one class, two classes, multple classes. School community, world as a whole.
My plan is to try to use the wiki to have students and their parents and grandparents share their experiences with a specific topic so that they can learn from each other.
My first topic is for 5th and 6th grade students and their adult family members to enter a paragraph in the wiki about what they used to collect information for a research project and how they shared that information. I specified that each person entering a comment should enter the year they were in sith grade. I guess my next step is to contact wikispaces and have them create a list of usernames and passwords, so I don't have to deal with that headache during class time. My plan is to have the parents and grnaparents use the students username and password. I'll call it the family username and password. I still have a lot to learn about WIKIs.
Podcasting
My students briefly explored Audacity last year and it truly is a motivator. I was considering having them create a welcome back to school podacast. Maybe working in groups of 3 or 4.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Flicker
I just spent a little time exploring the Flickr website. It was fun, not really intuitive for beginners. I don't know I would use this with students. It seems like a lot of work to get results that you could get using PhotoStory, PowerPoint, Paint, even Kid Pix can produce similar results. The programs I just listed don't have all the editing features that piknik has, but for school projects they are quicker.
Problem--once a picture is out there, it is available for anyone to use and do what they want with. That might cause an issue with cyber bullying. Our district has an acceptable use policy and some parents have specifically requested their child's picture not be put on the internet. Keep that in mind when using kids pictures on the internet.
The pictures that you find usable could be saved to a folder and kept on your district's server or local hard drive for kids to access. Pictures are a great way to get kids writng. List nouns, adjectives or other parts of speech that describe the picture.
Problem--once a picture is out there, it is available for anyone to use and do what they want with. That might cause an issue with cyber bullying. Our district has an acceptable use policy and some parents have specifically requested their child's picture not be put on the internet. Keep that in mind when using kids pictures on the internet.
The pictures that you find usable could be saved to a folder and kept on your district's server or local hard drive for kids to access. Pictures are a great way to get kids writng. List nouns, adjectives or other parts of speech that describe the picture.
The Interactive Classroom
I think the SmartBoard provides a nice way to add a visual component to your lesson. Kids (people in general I think) are very visual and understand more when they can get an actual image rather than creating a mental image .
The interactivity will keep students excited, which will keep them engaged and thinking rather than daydreaming through your lesson.
I have had the opportunity to use the SmartBoard with my students and they are by far their favorite lessons. Often when they arrive at class they will ask "Are we going to use the SmartBoard today?". When I say not today there is a collective moan.
It does take the kids a while to get the hang of touching the SmartBoard with correct pressure. Some are too gentle and nothing happens, or some are too firm and all kinds of pop up menus appear. If that happens just gently tap anywhere on the screen and the pop ups will disappear.
I especially like that you can use an interactive website with the SmartBoard. Some very talented people have put together some wonderful websites that teach in a very engaing and fun way. The work is virtually done for you. For someone just starting out using the SmartBoard, that is the way I would start.
I'm curious to see if some of the other intaractive software we have (Encarta For Kids) works the same way with the SmartBoard, I imagine it will.
Clickers
This was my first experience with Clickers and the CPS software. I found the software to be fairly user friendly.
I think this technology will also keep kids engaged and limit the amount of daydreaming through a lesson.
Clickers provide a great way to review content covered, assess or evaluate knowledge.
I had the chance to import graphics and I felt that was fairly easy and again i really like adding a visual whenever possible.
I wonder if crowd control might be a problem though. With kids getting so excited you never know what might happen.
I wasn't too concerned about people calling out the answers, because there was still learning going on. However as an evaluation piece this could be a problem.
I liked the reports and study guides that were generated. What a great way to individualize instruction.
The interactivity will keep students excited, which will keep them engaged and thinking rather than daydreaming through your lesson.
I have had the opportunity to use the SmartBoard with my students and they are by far their favorite lessons. Often when they arrive at class they will ask "Are we going to use the SmartBoard today?". When I say not today there is a collective moan.
It does take the kids a while to get the hang of touching the SmartBoard with correct pressure. Some are too gentle and nothing happens, or some are too firm and all kinds of pop up menus appear. If that happens just gently tap anywhere on the screen and the pop ups will disappear.
I especially like that you can use an interactive website with the SmartBoard. Some very talented people have put together some wonderful websites that teach in a very engaing and fun way. The work is virtually done for you. For someone just starting out using the SmartBoard, that is the way I would start.
I'm curious to see if some of the other intaractive software we have (Encarta For Kids) works the same way with the SmartBoard, I imagine it will.
Clickers
This was my first experience with Clickers and the CPS software. I found the software to be fairly user friendly.
I think this technology will also keep kids engaged and limit the amount of daydreaming through a lesson.
Clickers provide a great way to review content covered, assess or evaluate knowledge.
I had the chance to import graphics and I felt that was fairly easy and again i really like adding a visual whenever possible.
I wonder if crowd control might be a problem though. With kids getting so excited you never know what might happen.
I wasn't too concerned about people calling out the answers, because there was still learning going on. However as an evaluation piece this could be a problem.
I liked the reports and study guides that were generated. What a great way to individualize instruction.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Thoughts on Returning to School 2008/2009
It is Monday, August 11 and I am in a Technology Training class learning about blogging so that I can use blogs with my students. I'm thinking of starting slow by just giving access to a small group of students.
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