What is the top concept or most relevant piece of information you are taking away from this week of class or online class discussions? Will anything you have learned this week, change your classroom and if so, what? Explain your thoughts on technology integration and how you plan to incorporate it into your classroom or learning environment.
Have a good remaining summer and feel free to contact Joanne and I if you have questions after class is out.
Thanks for a wonderful learning environment.
Lisa & Joanne
I'm beginning to understand that it is my responsibility to learn how to use these Web2.0 tools to engage my students on another level. It is not enough to be able to bark like a dog and to tap dance during a lesson.
ReplyDeleteI hope to expand our classroom community to families by creating a new second grade web page. It will serve as a connection from school to home to display student work, post news and schedule updates.
I am hoping that children will become more excited about writing knowing that they will be creating a Photo Story of their narratives. There may be collaboration around this production. I learned when making my Photo Story that it was helpful to have others to share ideas with.
I have learned so much. I think I can really begin to be a leader in supporting my teachers as they begin to integrate technology into their teaching. I am excited about using our updated computer lab as my home for faculty meetings.
ReplyDeleteI am hoping that if I am willing to take changes, the staff will as well.
I have a new lens to think about what are the ways to teach 21st century skills to young children.
Thank you many times over.
I knew it was important, but I think what I'm taking away most from this class is the need to explicitly teach digital citizenship skills to my students so that they can safely, legally & responsibly use the technology I present to them. I see this reassuring parents, too, that their young children are learning appropriate uses of technology and will help them to be more willing to step aside and allow their child to explore.
ReplyDeleteI would love to implement everything that I've seen here, but as we've said many times, I'm limited by my access to technology and by what I am allowed to access online. :( Hopefully, with more of us becoming well-versed in Web 2.0 technologies, we'll be able to open up more and more for our students to experience in this digital age.
I have learned more than I thought was out there for technology. I am beginning to feel comfortable will all my tags in delicious...wiki,moodle,blog etc.
ReplyDeleteAs I review the Guidance curriculum I will be looking for ways to integrate smartboard, smart notebook, Elmo, blogs, response system, portaportal and many more.
The most exciting aspect is that I will bring this new found knowledge to the first K-12 Guidance meeting in September. We may be able to start integrating technology tools directly in to out District curriculum on VCAT,
Thank you so much for your patience and words of encouragement. I feel much more comfortable and knowledgeable about web 2.0 tools.
I am so glad that I took this class again this summer. I appreciate the opportunity to learn more about Web 2.0 tools. This year I am even more determined to have my kindergarten students using technology early on and throughout the year. I am excited about helping them to collaborate and communicate using technology. I think students will be engaged. This way of teaching offers students so much more. I can't wait to share with my teammates. I also look forward to my students working with their fourth grade buddies using technology.
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shelfari
smartboard activities.
I look forward to implementing A NOVEL IDEA project in a classroom setting rather than an after-school library program. So excited!
I'm not going to worry about transformative. I'm just going to test a variety of tools and evaluate the cost (FREE) and how I can use it with students.
My biggest area of learning concerned how much is out there! I loved learning about all the Web 2.0 tools and thinking about the possibilities for each. I am amazed at how many options are out there to supplement what we do in the classroom. My use of technology thus far has been to organize learning in my classroom--I am looking forward to using technology to expand and enrich the learning rather than just organize it. I think this will be the biggest change in technology integration for me--actually using it to guide learning, not organize files for me.
ReplyDeleteThere's so much that I've learned this week - but I think most importantly, it's that it'll be ok - that it'll take some time, and it's fine to just TRY IT OUT! I think I've been hesitant up to now, but feel much better about things. I'm planning on creating a brilliant (haha) web page, with links to a wiki, and a blog. I'm also looking forward to using delicious, edu2.0, and many of the presentation tools as they make sense. I feel really recharged with more in my own "tool box" to keep the kids motivated and engaged - AND I'm looking forward to having a better, more efficient connection with families via tech. Cleaner and easier. Yeah! I feel like taking this class has offered a great way to make essential steps in the right direction, and to build a wonderful network of colleagues to share the ride with!! Thanks for everything!
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The most important thing I have taken away is not to be afraid to jump right in and begin integrating technology. As I explained in class in the beginning, I tend to get lost in the forest and can't see it for the trees! I am proud to have created some sort of organized plan to really use a new technology, instead of just endlessly searching for new and cool things that might be good to use one day. The idea that I can just start small and build from there in a purposeful way is very helpful to me.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I am in no hurry to get there, I am looking forward to Level 2 next summer!
The most important thing to happen was for me to get my "mojo" back - I have been distracted by many causes over the past two years and have not fulfilled my commitment to fully implementing tech into my curriculum. Thankfully, I have switched over to a more project-based learning environment, and continue to chip away at differentiation.
ReplyDeleteThe evolution in 2.0 tools has been outstanding during my self-imposed hiatus time. These tools are easier to use, more relevant to the curriculum because of the ease of use (interface); of second importance to me, I now have found a tool to manage this integration in a logical way - edu2.0.
Thirdly, I have done enough reading about the destruction occurring to the environment to really want to move to the proverbial "paperless" classroom. While I may not be able to totally eliminate paper, I can start to finally limit its use. For instance, my spelling and grammar programs have involved enormous amounts of paper over the past three years - now, finally, most of these activities can move online. Resources are online, students are working to finish assignments using fun methods (comic strips, Voicethread, wordle) that engage them. In addition, I can start to build those collaborative learning environments with the forums, chatrooms, wikis and blogs that give students a real sense that others are listening to them.
And finally, I can stop carrying loads of papers everywhere because the assignments are online and students get notification about the assignment, I can start getting back to doing the creative things I care about because the 2.0 are easy enough to use that I am not wasting time getting kids involved and teaching the programs, I'm seeing kids grabbing on to most of the technology, learning it, and applying it. (I know - stream of conscientiousness there -sorry)
I echo a lot of what Bryant said. (so wise, and I can use fewer words!) Web2.0, in my opinion, dovetails nicely with differentiation. Many of the tools we were exposed to this week serve similar functions and could provide options for my high-school students planning their own presentations for example.
ReplyDeleteI am particularly excited about new options for organizing an online community. That could be Moodle, but there are plenty of other options out there. Each time I am exposed to those platforms, I learn something new and get new ideas for what to do in my classes.
I would also like to aspire to eliminating some paper through online submissions, GoogleDocs and increased use of forums and wikis. Great stuff!
Like Michelle, in the past few years I've been good about using technology maintain organization, inform my students and their parents about my class, and engage students in content. This class has inspired me to take technology to another level by using more web 2.0 applications and encouraging students to do the same. I will definitely incorporate web 2.0 technology as an option for all culminating assessments for students, use Turning Point in all of my powerpoints, use Quizlet for students to study vocabulary, and use moodle for open discussions about current events articles.
ReplyDeleteWhen telling my friends and family about this class that I'm taking, I don't roll my eyes and say, "Oh it's just another one of those hoops I'm jumping through to keep my IPDP up-to-date"-- which has been my canned response to most of the other classes I've taken. This time, I've explained how eye opening and important this class is. This was an excellent class and should be required for ALL teachers. Even if we don't become as savvy as our students, at least we are aware of the world around us and all the potential that abounds.
I agree with Katy that all teachers in our district should take this class. I'd like to see the discussion at the beginning of the year about fair use/copyright. This would help us greatly, especially if we need more financial resources to get either online or (gulp!) paper ancillary materials to our textbooks.
ReplyDeleteOops! I posted in the wrong spot (you'd think I'd have it by now wouldn't you!). Mine is a separate post. Sorry.
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I am so glad I was able to fit this class in this summer. I am glad that I will be able to work with Bryant and Joyce this fall and I know a few other teachers from our building are taking this course next week.
ReplyDeleteI still have a lot of work to do before school starts, but I feel much more equipped.
I learned that I CAN! And if I can't, I have a lot of people who can help me! This class was awesome, not a moment wasted. What I can't use myself, I may be using with the students I work with in other educators' classrooms. The time for us to get on board with 21st century learning is now. Every teacher should have this knowledge, so that every classroom will engage and challenge students in a way that will prepare them for their future. As I have said before, it is okay to start small and be a work in progress, because at least we are starting to move in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteThank you all for sharing what you know or have learned - I have learned so much from everyone! This has been truly inspiring!
Great class---Photo Story---Blogs---Wikis---Podcast--- I can now help students with projects and not feel
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Thanks, Jen Poutre
The workshop today with Portportal was very interesting, as well as Turning Point. I think that I could use either or both of these. Sometimes I think that we only need to see some of the possibilities, and they are very user friendly. Certain others, however, seem to require a course to understand well enough for classroom applicaton.
ReplyDeleteOthers' projects are impressive. The variety and depth of them is incredible. Also, most of the group has managed the "seamless" part very well. I found myself wishing I taught Art, except for the 500 students/year part! Also, the incorporation of sound (seamlessly) is one of my next ventures after watching projects which included the sound pieces so well.
I think you all "got it!" I noticed some of you said you weren't ready for "transformation," but, the steps you are taking will get you there. It's a journey and a process and I see you all ready to start on the journey. I think you will be surprised at where you, and your students go.
ReplyDeleteThank you all for working together, helping one another, being patient with our bloops (especially mine!), and being patient while Lisa and I worked with individuals. I hope you can take something from our model to your classroom and make it work for you and your students.
I promise I will post the resources I didn't get to and if I forget to do something for you, please feel free to nag me - sometimes I get wound up in the next thing and forget someone.
Please call on me next year for advice, help, assistance in the classroom, to help you spread your message to other teachers - whatever you need! That's my job and I'm happy to do whatever I can to meet the needs of the teachers and students. Enjoy the rest of your summer!
I have a new mindset in regards to Web 2.0 technology. I'm comfortable with uncertainty and can push on through to new learning!
ReplyDeleteTonya mentioned teaching digital citizenship skills... This is something that we didn't really go over and is a crucial piece of learning for those using web 2.0 technologies. I think at the elementary level it can sometimes be a challenge just to show them how to use a tool that we forget to teach this other aspect of use. Food for thought and maybe for our next class!
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