Technology in the Classrom: What to do?
Share any ideas that you may have for incorporating technology into your classroom.
posted by Dr BJ | 6:46 PM
Technology in the Classroom
Help others by sharing some technology-related ideas that have worked for you in your classroom.
155 Comments:
I would love to use more technology in the classroom. I only have one computer right now that is hooked up by AverKey to a TV. This allows me to use slide shows to showcase my daily plans and as instructional tools. I also use some internet videos and interactive websites for instruction. My studnets can also showcase their created slide shows and projects. Aside from this, it is very difficult to use my computer for class use in a small group or individual setting. I would love for my students to be able to communicate with other schools across the world through a website and be able to complete independent webquests on their own time.
Oh...by the way, that comment before was from Erin Sallese. I misunderstood the making a page and created one that I thought I would be able to use.
Any other ideas???? Please post.
If you need more information about assistive technology visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assistive_technology
I have been using technology with my students for some time now, but I haven’t been using the Read/Write Web and I would like to develop ways to do that. Initially I saw the Read/Write Web as a place for my students to prepare for their final work, but after looking at some student blogs, I see that it is possible for them to write their end product on the Web as well. Ideally, I would like to get rid of my writing textbook and I am quite sure that technology will help me to do that. If you have any suggestions or ideas, I would love to hear them.
For my grammar class, I would love to have the students use technology outside of the classroom before class so that I could use class time to target the areas they are having trouble with. Patricia Galien
I have found the AT success stories to be very exciting! Here's another wonderful article on your topic.
http://www.edutopia.org/assistive-technology-enhances-learning-all
PamO
I would like use technology more in the classroom. I think it would be great to see kids do some interactive things with the history of math and its origins. Maybe some powerpoint presentations or web ideas like a wiki or blogging on math. Maybe that would help students understand the importance of math and how it impacts our lives daily
Technology is in constant use in my classroom. I recently was a recipient of a Technology Award by Best Buy and I won $2,000 for my classroom. Society is more and more technology advanced, and our students are becoming very dependant upon technology. We need to use technology to enhance our lessons, and to keep our classes interactive as much as possible. With my winnings, I am not spending it on just my class. I actually have pretty much everything I need for my classroom. What I have done is purchased a lot of things for the school so other teachers can start using technology in the classroom.
I recommend next fall that all teachers sign up for the award, because this money is a blessing for the classroom and the school.
I feel that I am really lucky to have the technology that I do. I am able to use my laptop and LCD projector to project my lessons on the SmartBoard. I create power points for notes for my lessons. I find that using technology keeps the kids more engaged. I really enjoy using the Clickers remotes to review and assess learning. I also use www.schoolnotes.com to communicate with parents.
I am really impressed - not only that you won, but that you are sharing your winnings with the school. I'm sure everyone is really greatful for your generosity. I agree with Lou that it would be cool to start a class wiki. Maybe next year . . .
My students love any assignment that involves technology. Whether it is creating a power point or some graphic design, they are really engaged. I have had more participation when I involve technology as part of an assignment.
I would like to use technology a lot more in my lessons as well. It would be nice to have more than two computers in my classroom so that I could teach more whole group lessons. This way as individuals they could learn more about using the computer. It is really hard to book the computer labs in my building many of the regular ed teachers book them far in advance. My students love power point presentations and I would love to give them the opportunity to create their own.
We try and use technology as much as we can. Some of my SPED students use technology to access the general education curriculum. They use programs that can read text to them. As a whole class, we use technology for things that, in the past, were done with pen and paper. We use a program that allows our students to develop outlines for papers. We also encourage them to use powerpoint, excel, etc when preparing projects.
I feel there is so much technology "out-there" that it can be completely overwhelming. Choosing the appropriate amount of technology you can manage is important. I consider myself somewhat technologically advanced, yet when I’m presented with a lot of websites to view I end up not viewing any of them. One website I think is important for teachers to utilize is some type of homework website; www.schoolnotes.com or www.yourhomework.com is great place to begin since a template is created for you. Having contact with parents, informing parents and students of important dates, such as tests dates or when report cards will be distributed, is crucial. I recently asked my students how many had access to the internet and/or if their parents had access to the internet at work. Less than 1% of my students either had internet access at home or their parents used the internet at work. Providing parents and students with the opportunity to contact you through different mediums, as well as keeping them informed, will maximize communication and deter behavior problems.
Technoloy is an integral part of my classroom, especially during reading and math groups. During rotations, students have the opportunity to use the computers to play math games, reading games, etc. We also have Leap Frog reading program, and the students enjoy working with the launchpads. It seems that the students would rather work from a computer than from a reading textbook. My only concern is that these standardized assesments require students to sit down and read from the pages. Is the next movement towards standardized testing computer based for children?
I try to use technology every chance that I get! As a teacher, I couldn't imagine doing the following without the help of technology:
-making student activities
-grading papers & keeping a gradebook
-communicating with parents and fellow teachers
-researching lesson ideas
-publishing student work
With my students, I use technology to
-create electronic books on power point
-publishing items from writer's workshop
-using WebBlender to have students create personal websites
-unitedstreaming.com to show concepts in the curriculum
-variety of math, writing, and reading software to help reinforce and accelerate students
-powerpoint presentations to present and/or review content
I wish I had more modern technology to use and cannot wait until my ELMO, LCD, and Promethean board is installed next year!
I would love to teach all of my lessons using powerpoint presentations that incorporate visuals, sound, a media clips if possible to illustrate various concepts. Collaborating with teams could assist with such a large task. Grade level teams could work together to develop interactive powerpoint presentations for the more difficult units to teach. Using websites such as United Streaming is another way to integrate technology. This video streaming website can help students build background knowledge for text. For example, if your students are reading Charlotte's Web you could show them a video clip about farms and have the students make predictions about the plot,setting, characters, vocabulary, etc... prior to reading the book.
I try to incorporate technology into the classroom every day. I feel as a teacher, I am using it throughout the day. However, I would like to continue to learn new activities to do with my students that involve technology. Some ways I integrate technology into my every day are:
1. emails/communication
2. researching lesson ideas
3. United Streaming (videos that review or introduce concepts)
4. Math and Reading programs for students use.
5. publishing newsletters
There are many more activities that I have used outside of the classroom (ex:powerpoint), but I trying to figure out how to make them more "kid friendly" for my Kindergarteners.
Technology shouldn’t be something that is forced. I believe that defeats the whole purpose for technology. Instead where needs and ideas already exist you can use technology to fulfill those needs and complement or broaden those ideas. In PE this takes place in various ways. One way technology is utilized in PE is through pedometers. A pedometer is a simple instrument, which you attach to your pants at the hip. Once attached the pedometer will count how many steps you are taking. This is useful when trying to get students to understand that correlation between moving and burning calories. The pedometer gives them concrete feedback about how much they are moving which then can be related to how many calories they burned.
Another technological tool in PE is the heart rate monitor. Like the pedometer heart rate monitors give students concrete feedback on their level of exertion. This is useful when teaching children about “intensity” and how intensity of movement is one of the key principles to exercise and getting in shape. It is difficult to explain what intensity really means and why it matters without heart rate monitors but with heart rate monitors the explanation is almost intrinsic to tool itself. A student can see exactly how their level of intensity corresponds to their heart rate and thus students can better understand what intensity is.
Probably one of the most overlooked and simplest pieces of technology used in fitness and physical education is the scale. Like the pedometer and heart rate monitors the scale gives the user concrete feedback. Everyone now knows how important the scale is in determining how much you weigh but could you imagine trying to explain to someone the concept of weight without a scale; needless to say it would a daunting task. The scale’s usefulness is seen in how many people understand the relationship between weight and fitness. The scale has helped make the concept of weight easy for everyone to understand.
The list can go on: fitness software, body fat tools and programs, weight lifting machines, cardio machines, are just some of the other forms of technology used in PE and fitness which make learning about fitness and achieving fitness easier.
I do love and enjoy using technology in and out of school. But I would like to take a moment to reflect upon all technology we have now. In the magizine, Principal, an article of a principal discusses the negative ramifications all of our technology is causing. For those who have a difficulut time keeping organized physically and mentally, technology has increased the difficulty level of keeping organized. It can be easy for one to become extremely overwhelmed with technology--answering emails non-stop, not having proper training on new software, just managing all the technological pieces is a chore in and of itself. I can imagine the difficulty some may have in this world wind of the technological age. Like the article said, it is crucial for the person to mangage the technology or the technology will manage the person.
Now that I have that off my chest, lets discuss how technology can be used in the classroom again!
Now that I have learned about Wiki's and created one from Module 2. I would like to utilize this tool not for just me and the students but for the families as well. This could be an excellent way to have the parents network amaongst each other and find ways to support one another during the school year. The disadvantage will be for my families who do not have computer acess at home.
Perhaps I could use a blog for the parents to aks and answer questions about school work, tutoring, field trips, etc...
Software provided by MCPS as Reading and Math Centers
Activprimary to use with the promethean boards-interactive lessons throughout the day
Activotes as a new way to collect data for formatives and pre-assessments
United Streaming to engage students in material covered visually and auditory
Computers to do research on student generated questions from units of inquiry
Elmo to enlarge text on promethean board and become an interactive lesson with the text
Movie maker-students create movies about research to present
Student created websites
Student created powerpoints
Promethean board becomes a reading and math center
Webquests
Digital photography around campus to create authentic learning experiences
Play music to attain the appropriate climate in the classroom
Promethean boards to practice note taking and summarizing ideas
Technology is extremely useful and convienent. We, as educators, have to ensure that we are not adding to the digital divide since the technological boom.
Technology today is the wave of the future. If you look at MCPS, many schools are taking the road of technology. Each year, more and more schools are getting a face lift towards technology. Many schools are equipped with smart baords, elmo's and the most updated programs and computers. Grading in many schools are done on the computer and parents, students and teachers are able to review grades and progress by using a computer.
Personally I try to incorporate computers in my class each day. I try to use as many computer programs that are offered by the county for reading, writing and math. Technology helps teachers make learning fun and interesting. Keeping students engaged and interested is the key to learning. I am excited and hope that my school will provide staff with modern technology like smart baords, elmos and promethiam boards. Not only fun for student, but for teachers as well.
David Nguyen
Technology is the BEST way to motivate our students. Most students already are involved in using technology at home. Why not bring this to the schools so the kids can really take ownership of their learning.
Technologies allow students to get excited about their school work. They also allow struggling students the available resources to succeed in the classroom. The UDL is a great example of how students can utilize technologies to meet their individual needs.
I would like to incorporate technology more into my ESL classroom. I really like the idea of students creating their own webpages. It would be a personal webpage where students can post their work and really make it their own. I think it would build a sense of pride and confidence -- especially among second language students! I would like find more ways to integrate technology where students can take more ownership for their learning process, too!
I use technology in many different ways in my classroom. Besides using a mobile lab with individual math software and calculators, I also use a SmartBoard and projector for whole class lessons. I have used UnitedStreaming to create interest in the topics and as a basis for problems. We also use interactive applets for problem solving and investigatory lessons.
I love using technology. I think it really increases my students' interest and helps them prepare for the future.
I have enjoyed using United Streaming in my classroom. They are so many great video segments that are helpful for kids. I have been hooking up my TV to my computer, so that the viewing screen is much bigger. Anytime the kids see me turn on the TV, they ask if we are going to watch a United Streaming video.
Students love technology. If students can use technology in school that can act as a motivator for learning. As an adapted physical education teacher I use technology in the following ways. Personally, I use the computer to create parent letters and permission forms. I use Microsoft Excel to organize fitness testing data and create charts for students so they can make sense of data. I use software such as "Boardmaker" to create Picture Communication Symbols (PCS). This gives special needs students visual cues along with verbal cues so they understand directions.
Children thrive when they are able to integrate technology into the classroom. I plan to teach my 6th grade students how to use Power Point to present educational material. I strongly believe that this will help students become more competent in the subject matter while exposing them to more technology and become more confident when speaking in front of their peers.
I would like to incorporate the use of a SmartBoard in conjunction with the computer. It would be great to use starfall with the entire class and have them point and click on the letters of their choice. They get excited about selecting a letter.
With younger students learning to use the mouse is great for hand eye coordination. They need to be introduced to the computer to develop comfort in using it.
Also, technology would be a great tool in developing slide shows to go with the alphafriend songs. The kids would love the show. This would create an audio/visual experience. The shows could be placed on the desktop of a computer. When it is center time, students who choose to go to the computer can view the alphafriend show of their choice. It would be even better if the words were highlighted as the song played.
In as society where technology is used in everyday lives and is a big influence, students are motivated when they use it in their education. Students of all different learning levels and interests benefit with the use of technology, especially with the use of the various educational websites that allow them to practice and learn skills. Students get excited when we go to the computer lab or when I show them videos I've downloaded from unitedstreaming.com. Students even get motivated when their paper/pencil work is shown on the projector through the visualizer.
I try to use technology as much as possible in the classroom. In the past I have used audio CDs, mindpoint quiz show game, power points, and unitedstreaming videos. However after reading the comments and reviewing various web-sites I am starting to realize some of the many other possibilities , such as blogging for learning logs, electronic portfolios, and e-mail. Technology is the key for reaching all types of learners!
There are many options when trying to integrate technology into the classroom. One very easy and effective way to get information is through powerpoint presentation. When you go to google.com, click on advanced search and limit the field to powerpoints. Then search whatever topic your heart desires!
In my classroom, I use technology in several ways. When teaching vocabulary, I use technology to demonstrate how words can have multiple meanings in a powerpoint presentation; in social studies, students take virtual field trips in order to learn about specific regions, and I constantly use the interwrite boards so that students can actively participate in lessons.
I feel that I do a good job in using technology in the classroom. We continue to acquire new technology every year. It becomes more interactive, like the InterWrite board which allows for alot of interaction with dragging items and writing on the board. Computers, tape players, microphones are used alot in class for centers and whole group and small group instruction.
I currently use a lot of technology in my classroom. I feel that when integrating technology, the students are more attentive to the lesson. Using computer programs allows the students to practice learned skills while having fun. Also the smart board is a great way to attract content to students. They love the opportunity to come in front of the class and use "the magic pen" on our smart board. It also helps those visual and tactile learners retain learned information.
I use the computers as a literacy center and my students go to sites like www.starfall.com. I've created jepoardy games on powerpoint and always find myself using the interent for educational resources. Sometimes I feel that I have acess to a lot of technology that I don't take advantage of. Although incorporating technology can often be time consuming in the planning, if the results are going to be students who are more engaged in the learning process, than that extra time planning will be far worth the time saved when you don't have to reteach the concept/skill.
I was viewing the trackstar sites and I plan to incorporate a scavenger hunt into my UDL plan. By setting up the sites ahead of time, I plan to bring the students to the computer lab so they can ultimately produce a Foreign Affairs magazine informing fellow classmates about the news in the world around them. The format is useful that is provided through the site. I recommend this track site and I firmly believe the children will benefit from this type of assignment.
After exploring trackstar #187630 and looking at all the different at all the resources I plan to use them in my classroom. The powerpoint templates and powerpoint games available will the help reinforce concepts to students concepts and as well as practice their skills. Upon reading the Webinar, I also plan to download the powertalk software that reads the powerpoints aloud. The infusion of these two programs will help students with reading disablities to follow along and become engaged with the presentations.
One challenge I see in in using Open Source Software is that many internet sites are blocked from our school's internet. I also am not supposed to allow students to download or run any program that is not already on the computers. However, if the sites were allowed and we did not have to download any new programs, we might be ok. However, using my mobile lab can be troublesome at times. The lab is wireless, so it can be reached at many places in the building and used. About 50% of the time we use it, web-based software runs extremely slow, if at all. Sometimes it takes students a 1/2 hour to log on. That's frustrating!
However, I would really like to use a blog or Wiki to have interactive class discussions on processes or strategies. I could definitely use these for students to solve and respond to BCRs and ECRs for the HSAs. I also would like to use surveymonkey.com to do class surveys and parent surveys about the class. Creating an interactive class website to inform parents and students would also be really useful. I have never flet that I could create a class website on my own, but if it was interactive and part of class procedure, it could work.
The powerpoint templates are really nice. The kids become so engaged when they're playing Jeopardy or Who Wants to Be A Millionaire. It's great to know that there is so much free and easily accessible software out there. I think the biggest challenge for me in terms of incorporating such software into my teaching is the amount of time it would take to sort throught the useful and not so useful stuff. It's much easier and less time consuming to go with the tried and true way of doing things. The downside to that though is that in most cases not all of your students are having thier needs met. Incorporating various types of technology better ensures that students are engaged and are provided with a multitude of resources that will ensure their success.
A) In my school/classroom, there would be a few challenges to using Open Source Software. It would take a lot of time on my part to research, use, and become familiar with the open source software. There are so many resources out there, it takes time to research and find out what would be usable in my classroom. It takes a lot of time to find ways to incorporate the software into the curriculum, and to plan lessons. Another challenge will be finding the computer lab time to practice using the software.
B) After spending some time viewing the PowerPoint Presentation and going to some of the links that discuss and give examples of Open Source Software, I found a few sites that would be useful in my classroom. For example KOffice is great software. It is an alternative to Microsoft Office. They are productivity tools, planning tools, etc. I would use surveymonkey.com to create interest surveys for my class or online quizzes. There is software called TrayNotes, Digital Diary, WireNote, and Genious. These sites are great to show kids. They help with keeping track of learning, dates, birthdays, notes to self, etc. Even if not used in the classroom daily, it would be great to show kids how to use them, so they can use them on their home computer. Gliffy.com also seems like a great site to draw and share diagrams, however, it does cost money. There are many different software programs that would be beneficial to my students!
As I think more about the use of technology, it's important that I also explore the various programs that come with technology, especially computers and software programs. The matn webinars wiki led to alot of exploration and provided alot of information that was quite overwhelming but useful.
A.) I think the challenge I would have to overcome is finding the time to use or even implement the different websites or programs into my already busy and much routined schedule of instruction. I would also have to really research what sights or programs that could be helpful and useful to kindergarteners, not to mention water down the substance or information on a simpler developmental level where students are able to use programs without needing my assistance.
B.) There were definitely some great sights that could be used. The website www.kidrocket.org is a great interactive website for kids to use. It had games and puzzles that would provide children with enjoyment and enrich activities that have provided entertainment for years. I could see myself using www.openoffice.org software program. It's very similar to Microsoft Office and contains many of the same programs such as creating spreadsheets and word processing, but it also provides the option of doing the program in other languages which would be very beneficial in society today that is very multicultural and multilingual. Powertalk is another great website that is Assistive Technology based which works well with students with disabilities as well as for low performing learners and readers. There are alot of different sites and programs that would be very useful and helpful for high ability learners, low ability learners, and definitely for secondary school students.
Technology is always represented in my classroom. There are many ways that teachers can incorporate technology in classroom. Having a computer is a great asset. The internet has many sites that provide different activities that students can work on. I use different sites for my low readers to improve their reading and writing skills. My high readers get the opportunity to research different subjects for projects. I am in the process of setting up Skype in the classroom so we can talk to our pen pals in Thialand. The intermediate grades can use bloggers to post questions and their peers can respond or comment on the subject. Wikis can be also used in the classroom for research of a topic. They can post the different things they have found when they researched. Students can also take the information that they found and present it in a power point.
Technology is a wonderful thing. I really wish I had more technology when I was in I was in Elementary school.
I wanted to include some more information from my last post.
A) Some of the challenges I think I will face with implementing the open Source Software is having the time to implement it to our daily schedule and curriculum. I would also need a volunteer to come in help assist with the students.
B) Some other ways to include form my last post are to use united streaming and safari montage. These provide great educational videos that go along great with the curriculum. Technology can always be used. As teachers we just need to find creative ways to incorporate it into instruction.
I try to incorporate technology every chance I get. My students learn so much than what is on the program. They are learning routines and management. Technology is fun for my students. I don't even think they think it's learning and what is important is that they are engaged and it helps them retain so much more. Because it's not the traditional pen and paper, they are motivated to learn and are engaged. It is interactive and they work at their own pace at whatever program they are on.
a.) I think one of the challenges I would have to overcome would be the intimidation of trying new software. In our school, there are alot of sites that are not allowed. AS a matter of fact, I can not get to any of the personal pages when I was trying to do my assignments during my free time. Our school is monitored by our technology person as well as the board. If I think a software is great and I tried to download, it would not let me download without approval.
b.) I really enjoyed using survey monkey. This gave me an idea of how much technology the students use and it also gives me an idea on how much time I would need to spend on modeling or planning on a lesson. AFter the survey, I found that alot of students did not have access to a computer at home so the majority of their work will have to be done at school during class. Also, the wikispace is great. I used the wikispace to create a page for the students to brainstorm about the projects. We will have a project on recreating colonial Jamestown. I put all the research items that is linked to a website as well as a rubric and sample projects so that they can actually see the final product. The students will also have an opportunity to brainstorm on the internet on this space. They can give each other ideas for the project. I've also used kidrocket and some software that uses manipulatives for math. I also used this grammar interactive website http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/grammar/archive/grammar_games_index_page01.html. But as for the open source or web 2.0 which allows for blogging and networking, our county prohibits these sites because they are considered personal websites. Aside from the wikispaces, it is impossible to have these sources.
a.)
The use of Open Source Software in the classroom presents some challenges. The first challenge would be having a limited number of computers in the classroom. Unfortunately there are only 4 computers in my classroom, which have space around them for no more than 3 students to work at a time on a computer. However, our computer lab has 30 computers, but it is not always open for use. So, then time becomes a factor, time to learn and work with different software and time to teach the students how to use it. Also accessibility is another challenge, some of the software might be restricted by our county.
b.)
There are many ways that teachers and students can use the information presented. We already use Firefox at our school. I can see how Surveymonkey can be useful in data collection for teachers as well as students. I thought www.gliffy.com was an excellent teacher resource to use for designing flow charts to present directions or grading rubrics, teachers could even use it to develop scaffolding questions to guide students as they read a text. Or students could use it to explain the steps they went through to solve a problem or perform a task.
The matn wiki was full of a variety of helpful sights. This site offered me an opportunity to explore many different useful and more importantly free sites!
a.) I think that the most difficult part of implementing the sites in this wiki would be just flat out time. We only have a little bit of time to be in the computer lab each week or on the computers in the classroom. However, I do believe we could come up with some very useful ways to use these sites as a whole class. Especially if I am able to set up my projector.
2.)There are many of these sites that I beleive were extremely useful. I liked the sites that were students friendly. I truly believe about 90% of the sites I visited were very kid friendly. This allows me the ability to just set the kids up with a site and let them surf!
Currently, I use microsoft excel to record, analyze, and create charts for fitness testing results. The charts give students a visual on how their class is improving throughout the school year. I do not post individual fitness results. I have learned many other ways to use technology in my classroom. I really like surveymonkey. Conducting an online survey would make it easier for me to learn about my students and their preferences for learning. Discovery Streaming has videos on fitness and why maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important. These videos would help reinforce what I am doing on an instructional level and give it more meaning to students. The trackstar website provides a link through Yahoo!Kids to the U.S. President's council on physical fitness and sports where advice is given on how to safely develop an exercise program. This could be a tiered by resources activity for more advanced students. Students could also work in groups and use webquests to find exercises for a fitness routine. Technology can have many applications in a physical education setting, but the problem is computer access. Discovery steaming is something I could implement immediately. Activities such as webquests and the use of student search engines would take some creativity on my part. I would need to work with the classroom teacher and the technology teacher to figure out ways for students to use the computer for physical education purposes.
i have used technology in my classroom a great deal, but have now seen many more ways that are going to be more inviting for the students to incorporate. My plans for the future that are definite include a class website with assignments and discussion questions, as well as a link to www.turnitin.com (which i already use extensively). i would be able to include here, summery notes as well as visual presentations and streaming video from www.unitedstreaming.com. my county uses a program called "parents at school" which allows parents to see updated gradebooks of their students' teachers. there have been MANY difficulties with the system, but when it gets perfected, i am sure that the lines of communication it will create will be supremely beneficial.
With such a large content as is present in the world history curriculum, i think that using scavenger hunts and webquests will be a great idea to cover either large amounts of information or content that requires the infusion of several times/peoples/places. I was also impressed with the ease of the podcast creation on "juice" site. i think this as well as youtube posted skits (which many of my students use for my class) are a great way for kids to demonstrate their interest, creativity and skill. Some of the diifuculties i see in these ideas are 1) the amount of preparation time seems atronomical. 2) there is a strong neeed for both teacher and student professional developement when working with these programs which would mean that significant class time would have to be spent prior to the activity 3) having enough computers (i.e. availabiltiy of meda center, lab rooms or mobile computer labs) would also be an issue. lastly, i think that price for any opensource liscenses or the restrictions on modifications as well as firewall issues stemming from my own county (such as, www.youtube.com is restricted), could cause potential difficulties
After viewing the trackstar site, I plan to use a scavenger hunt into my unit plan. I believe that using the computer gives the student a sense of having fun. I think that if students are asked to identify and define landforms within the United States they will be able to retain the information they are presented with if put in form of self-discovery. Using the scavenger hunt allows the students to discover these on their own while having fun using technology.
The challenges that I need to overcome is time and space. It is not as philosophical as it may seem. By time I mean planning far enough ahead that I can complete the county and state objectives, while incorporating technology by the week of assessments. And by space I mean the availability of the computer lab to implement these cool lessons. There are several courses that require students to spend "x" amount of time in the lab and unfortunately, social studies is not one of them. Moreover, there are ways to continually promote technology and utilize web applications that will allow all learners to have their needs met simultaneously. The website, http://fullmeasure.co.uk/powertalk/ will be useful for me in the near future. This link found in Dr. BJ's webinar power point provides me with the tools to make these "talking presentations". Additionally, www.surveymonkey.com may be used is class even if I can not get to the computer lab. At least the students could view the questions via the LCD projector and write their responses on a piece of paper. Another way I can use information I have gathered is to give the URL http://kidrocket.org/ to the Media Specialist so that she can upload it onto usable links on the school website that are safe for the children. This "kid secure" site provides the students with another search engine that could be used for a variety of subjects. These ideas are just a few ways that teachers can present the new methods of instruction ascertained from this course.
A. The challenges I see with open source software are time and resources. I already have a laid out curriculum with scheduling for instruction preplanned down to the last second. There is just not enough time available. Logistically there is not enough space in my classroom for my kids to work on the five computers in my classroom. I would suggest using the computer lab, but there is always scheduling problems in my school building. Another challenge is that every child is not tech savvy. I may have to spend a lot of time teaching my students how to navigate through sites.
B. Survey monkey is a quick and easy way to find out how student feel about assignments. I use Survey monkey http://www.surveymonkey.com to learn more about my students. It is a great way to get feedback on specific assignments. I run the student government association at my school. I plan on using survey monkey to conduct student elections! I think students would enjoy having a chance to vote online and see the results. I currently use survey monkey for interest inventories. One of my goals in the near future is to have a class test preparation wiki. The wiki would allow my student to add in formation that can be used as a study guide for a test.
Having a mobile computer lab and interwrite board in my classroom makes the use of technology in the classroom for a non technical person like myself makes things easier. I am learning as I go. I like to use the laptops in the classroom for students to research for projects and to get on the internet for united streaming videos and powerpoints on class related topics. I plan on implementing blog spots so students can communicate and pose questions and wilki's for student research projects. In order to do this, I will need to become more comfortable with the computers and these concepts.
The biggest challenges that I face involve maintaining the patience to deal with issues that I don't immediately have an answer for and also dealing with technical problems when they arise.
Stephen A. Price
After reviewing the trackstar sites and open source software,I fully understood how imortant technology can be in the classroom. I would love to use the scavenger hunt and survey monkey but my major concern is the time that I would need to plan and finding resources.Although I find all the links informative, I'm already extremely overwhelmed by all the various programs and interactive lessons in the curriculum.
A. After learning about Open Source Software, I find that time would be a major challenge that I would face when incoporating it into my classroom. There were so many sites mentioned in the powerpoint that I would have to sit and find time to review them and see which works best for my students and my teaching stlye. All of this would have to be done on my own time because planning time at my school is spent on reviewing data and meeting with parents. I also feel that it would be diffuclt to incorporate this into my 90 minute math block or my 60 minute science block. Every minute is used for something constructive already so this would be a challenge to incorporate and learn about.
B. I can use the assistive technology for my special education students because I am always willing to go the extra mile for them and their education. I would love to use the talking powerpoints since I use powerpoints in my daily instruction for science. I have already used survey monkey so I would use it again in order to learn more about my students and their interests. I also saw a site for math reinforcement which I would have to use since I teach math and have a love for students enjoying and learning about math.
Currently, I use my visualizer every day to show the morning warm-up and directions. During math while I am meeting with a small group, six of my students are on the computer viewing websites, playing games relating to the topic of the week, and viewing clips about the topic of the week. My students also use a program called "First in Math" which helps them improve their automaticity with facts. During science we will often view short clips on United Streaming to help students build backgrounds about topics in science. At the end of class the students use personal clickers, where from their seats they can click in the answer that they think in correct. This helps me anaylsis how well students understood that days lesson and it allows me to create new groups for the next day. I would like to know how to use my smart baord. I know there are a lot of programs on the smart board that allow the students to interact and touch the board. Furthermore, I would like the students to create their own presentations on the computer.
I would like to use more technology in the classroom and to expose my students to technology. Students have access to 2 computers in the classroom that are used during literacy centers and math centers. I have shown videos from the computer and have done research with students. I recently purchased some overhead activties that students can do during center time. I think that the blog is a really neat tool, but I think it may be a little too mature for my first graders and would need adult supervision. I was thinking that we could create blogs about the animals that we researched and students could post facts that they found about their animals. I think my first graders would love this idea and enjoy typing on the computer!
I think that I do use some technology on a daily basis, but could integrate much more student-centered technology. As I have stated before, we use the Promethean Board almost all class period on a daily basis. I also use a lot of video clips from United Streaming and Brain Pop as well as doing internet research at least once per unit. I feel that there are a lot of other ways that we could use some of the ideas and concepts from this class such as using a Wiki (which I see the benefit for, but struggled to complete) and a class web site.
Students use many programs to complete projects such as Publisher, Word, and Powerpoint.
There are many ways to incorporate technology into a classroom and this class has helped me see how important it is to incorporate technology into the classroom. I believe a teacher should incorporate technology into his/her lesson as much as possible due to our changing world and the importance of knowing how to use the internet and the computer for daily functions such as email, word, excel, publisher, etc. Some ways a teacher can incorporate technology into the classroom would be to show students how to use word, excel, powerpoint and have them experiment and produce a product from these programs. Our media specialist currently does lessons on all of these programs with 5th grade students so they know how to use these programs and the components of each program. The students also evaluate websites to determine if they are reliable or not reliable. The students love learning the parts of each program and what each program can do as well as evaluating websites. The students have also gone home and done their assigments using a computer program rather than paper and pencil. Technology can also be integrated for instructional purposes by using a PowerPoint presentation to teach new concepts, by using United Streaming videos to introduce or review concepts, using digital texts/media, and using a Wiki. With our world changing and technology being more and more evident I firmly believe students need to know the basis of a computer and what a computer can do! The classroom is the perfect place to teach this!
I agree with Pam. I think that many of us skip over some of the fundamentals of technology like Word, powerpoint, and excel when really these serve as the basis for many other technological options like wikis and blogs. It would be great to simply bring student to the computer lab to type up their in-class timed writing assessments on Word rather than have them write--this allows them to go back and easily revise without having to draw arrows or squeeze in sentences. Then, we could use the Promethian Boards for everyday lessons (if we are so lucky to have them), the LCD projectors to incorporate pop culture and media or to view student presentations.
After reading the Blog's I have a list of ideas I'd like to try with my students. In February, my class will begin coresponding with another school in mcps. Blogging could be a great alternative to tradition pencil and paper letters. Both classes could read each others comments on a posted questions. I think the students would be very excited to read the other students posts. This would also give the ESOL 1(beginners) students much needed practice on the computer. I have to work with my media specialist discuss the use of e-mails for each student.
After reading the Blog's I have a list of ideas I'd like to try with my students. In February, my class will begin coresponding with another school in mcps. Blogging could be a great alternative to tradition pencil and paper letters. Both classes could read each others comments on a posted questions. I think the students would be very excited to read the other students posts. This would also give the ESOL 1(beginners) students much needed practice on the computer. I have to work with my media specialist discuss the use of e-mails for each student.
Technology is so important for our growing generation to become acquainted with. Not only with computers, but our students see more and more technology on a daily basis. They use iPods, cell phones, mp3 players, email, and so on. This is why I try to have my students use as much technology in the classroom as possible. Every week, we review the books that we have read on a daily basis. Rather than the students creating a bar graph with paper and pencil, with voting on their favorite, we vote on the computer by practicing clicking, dragging, and dropping the picture that matches their choice. In the end, they have created a pictograph, without using the "old fashion" way. I also allow them to use what they have learned with the computer lab teacher, and explore further in the classroom. My students go to educational websites for learning, they watch educational videos on United Streaming, learn reading strategies with Bailey's Book House, and so on. Since technology is becoming more and more integrated in our society, it should do the same in the classroom.
As a staff development teacher, my work is geared more to adults. I have used technology ...
*to research information related to teacher/grade level team needs
*during staff meetings to display the agenda, access and/or present information related to the outcomes
*to view YouTube clips to spark a discussion or support learning of a topic in meetings
*for data entry and analysis of global and rescreening of GT students
*to access student performance data and analysis to monitor our school improvement goals
Other than conducting my own research, I have not attempted to go beyond applications on my desktop and the MCPS site with colleagues. It would be interesting to create a Blog with MCPS teachers throughout the county regarding lesson planning, strategies used in the classroom, in addition to questions and comments about concepts, topics, lesson planning, and instructional practices. I wouldn't be surprised if it's already been done. If anyone is aware of a blog for MCPS teachers, please let me know. I would like to check it out.
I do use technology in the classroom almost daily. Having a promethean board in the room helps greatly for showing videos from United Streaming, links to useful web sites, etc. I also encourage my students to check out the links I provide for them for review/practice. What I do not do and need to do more of is get the students on the computer. Yes, we do have projects and students are encouraged to make powerpoint presentations or videos. Many students do this. However, I do not utilize the Foreign Language computer lab enough for my students. This is something I want to do next year. Also, with the promethean board students could work in groups to manipulate a web site using the pen. This could be incorporated during group activities. Again this is something I am going to work on intergrating into my lessons for next year.
"Describe the ways in which you can use the information presented."
When I first opened the Webinar I did not know what to expect nor did I know what a Webinar was or what it could do. I was amazed at the amount of free software resources there are on the web. I have already begun to use some of the software presented in the Webinar such as creating an interest survey through Survey Monkey, http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=_2bcmSZ0OckSpQrswo5lLQhw_3d_3d. to give to my students on the first dayh of school. I have created a blog for my students to complete during our unit of study on plays, http://thequeeninthevalentineball.blogspot.com/
Also, by creating a Wiki, http://5thgradenumberthestars.pbwiki.com/FrontPage for my students to respond to while they are completing a novel study on the book, Number the Stars. There are several other resources I feel as though I could incorporate into my classroom and use such as the following sites:
www.writely.com. or Google Docs.
I feel as though this site is similar to the Wiki. One way I could use this tool in my classroom would be in Social Studies using Powerpoint. I could have the students use the internet and texts to conduct research on various leaders from the Revolutionary War time period. The students could conduct their research and then present their material on a powerpoint slide. (I would provide the students with the template and the guidelines they would be using). All of the slides would then be added together creating a class Powerpoint presentation. The students could also use Power talk, http://fullmeasure.co.uk/powertalk/ to add voices to their slides!
www.jot.com or Google Sites.
This site is similar to the Wiki too, however I feel this might be a little easier than the Wiki and more user friendly. I could use this site to create a list of websites I would like my students to explore during a unit of study. For example, we conduct an author study on Chris Van Allsburg. I could create a google site as a reading station where my students can read about Chris Van Allsburg from various sites and record information about him in a word document or directly on the page by placing their names next to their thoughts. All of the sites the students would need to access could be listed on google sites. I feel as though this is very user friendly and 5th graders could do this!
I could also use google sites to create my own class webpage, similarly to the example presented on this site. This would be an excellent way to communicate assignments with my students and establish a communication with parents. However, I would only allow parents the access view only so therefore they would not edit the page.
www.zoho.com- Zoho Notebook.
This site I could use to have my students take notes or record information. I could have the students answer a question and record their answers on the notebook. The students can be creative by placing their notes wherever they wish! I could also add audio for my students to hear my question or the students could record their answers using the audio from this site. This would be an interactive station that could be set up as reading rotation within my classroom.
www.gliffy.com
I could use this site to have the students create a story map from a story or a vocabulary web. The shapes and symbols are already created for the students, so this would be very easy for them to do.
http://fullmeasure.co.uk/powertalk/
This site would be great to use in my classroom. I frequently create Powerpoint presentations to use in my classroom to teach my students content material. Through this site students could listen to a powerpoint presentation on the computer! Students could also create their own powerpoint presentation and use the standard voices when they share their final product with the class.
Pod casting could also be done to save lessons when students absent. The students could come in during recess to get the material they missed and hear what was discussed. It would also save me time.
I was amazed at how many FREE sites there are on the web and how many different ways I can use the information presented in this Webinar! I also didn’t realize how many different versions there were of the Wiki.
I try to use technology when I can in my classroom. I have a computer center for literacy and math centers. I use the overhead projector and I allow students to sue the overhead projector. I have been trying to get my students into the computer lab at least once or twice a month. Most of the time I take my class into the lab, there are computers down and students have to share (which can be trouble in first grade). I have students use the Type To Learn Jr. Program, which helps them to become familar with the keyboard and typing.
I had no idea of what a Webinar was and I had never heard of it before this assignment. It was a little overwhelming with the amount of information and resources, but very helpful in knowing that free software is available. I would need to really learn how to use the open Source Software before implementing it into my classroom. Some of the sites seemed a little too mature for first grade, but I did find a couple that I liked will incorporate into my curriculum lessons.
www.surveymonkey.com is a good site to gain some information about your students on a personal level.
www.kidrocket.org this is a great site to teach students about being safe on the internet.
www.blogger.com this would be great to use a whole class and also a way to keep parents updated with classroom assignments and projects.
www.askkids.com this is a great site for students to ask those interesting questions that they have about something they are working on in the classroom. I really liked the kids search engine website which allows students to search a topic in different kid friendly websites.
I use technology everyday in my classsroom. As stated before, the center of most lessons revolve around the use of the Promethean Board. The board is used for presenting information, giving directions, watching videos, conducting a poll or game, etc. I also use the only computer in my room for generating documents for use in class as well as email, grades, and attendance. I do not feel as if students get enough time using computers in my class because there is only one. I do schedule lab time and have projects and essays that require students to use the computer.
I would like to incorporate ideas from this class such as using a class wiki or blog. The podcasts are also a great idea. The only problem is that I have found that I get rather frustrated with some of these assignments, however I am sure that most students are capable of completing the set up, etc. with no trouble.
Currently, working with only one computer in the classroom and no Promethean board, it is a little difficult trying to integrate technology into the lessons on a daily basis. However, I still try my best by showing videos from United Streaming as well as utilizing the discovery education website to create fun worksheets for the students. I found the United Streaming videos very effective for the students who always ask, "When will we ever use this in the real world?" The videos allow the students to see how what they are learning is really applied in working world. Also, I am still investing my time attending Promethean Board trainings since I know I would still have an opportunity to use it in the future. There have been lessons and strategies that I have already been planning to use with the Promethean Board too!
I know the idea of a blog and an wiki can also help students break the concept that math is just simply sit down with a sheet of paper and do calculations. Using a blog can help students break that mold and allow them to think outside the box as well as allow them to become familiar with all the aspects Microsoft Office and the equation editor tool.
When viewing and learning about the Webinar, I felt a little overwhelmed, but I was amazed to find there was more free and helpful software out there than I thought! Many of the sources presented seemed too overwhelming and non-kid friendly for Kindergarten age, but I could totally see how it could be beneficial from 4th or 5th grade up!
Some of the sources that I noticed that I really liked were:
www.writely.com - or Google Docs.
I had never known about this site before, and I really appreciated that within this site you could create a Word document, a presentation, a data sheet, etc. and just post it, or upload it on the main screen. At the end of Kindergarten, I could have students work together to create presentations or word documents. (with a lot of training necessary!) But I also thought about me as a teacher being able to create presentations for my kids on here as well!
www.surveymonkey.com
Could be used as a get-to-know-you, or an end of the year general likes and dislikes about the grade, or even an exit card closing out a unit.
www.gcompris.net
Is a source appropriate for ages 2 to 10 that helps children in different computer, math, and letter/word skills. From my understanding the Windows version has access to only a few of these games, and a school or teacher can have access to ANY of the games for a small fee. Another very interesting aspect of this educational site is the fact that it comes in over 40 different languages.
http://jiletters.sourceforge.net/
Found under the "elementary" tab, helps children learn their letters. One thing that caught my eye when I clicked on their homepage was "Jjletters phonic method now recommended by DCFS (Department for Children, Families, and Schools). This program not only matches letter names to letter sounds, it also provides cursive fonts for those older elementary children that may have trouble reading or recognizing cursive font.
www.kidrocket.org allows children to explore the a kid-friendly internet, email, puzzles and games, and has a time sensitive lock, in order to keep children from being on the internet for a long period of time. This is a source that I really like, since there are ads on various other websites, that when clicking around, they can become very lost!
After doing my research, I really think that some of these free sources can be implemented in my classroom, as well as school-wide.
Andy, I agree! I also have only one computer and no Promethean Board and our portable LCD projector is constantly under lock-and-key. I am currently using blogs in three of my tenth grade classrooms for Lord of the Flies and they are working well. However, the only downside to the blogs is that they do have to be constantly monitored for inappropriate posts. My students had to sign a paper agreeing to only use the blog for academic purposes, to not poke fun at other responses, etc. Still, students (who are not thinking that everything they are saying is being put in writing) feel compelled to do all of these things which could ruin the integrity of the assignment. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Any way, I digress, but the web 2.0 tools that are currently underway in my classroom are, as mentioned, the blogs and also podcasts where students will record their Shakespeare performances instead of doing live scenes.
Meg mentioned writely.com which is something that I actually found out about from my students who were using it. Many of them use writely.com for almost everything they do, especially if they are lacking a program at home. I believe, but I could be wrong, that google docs also allows you to save the documents in a "friendly" way--meaning that they can be opened anywhere.
Aside from using surveymonkey.com as a get-to-know-you activity, I am going to create a survey on thoughts and feelings on the class blog: what they liked, disliked, improvements, etc. I can also do brief surveys post-text for similar reasons: what they liked, disliked, etc.
-Katie Loughney
I use interactive math software for Calculus, Active Votes, Promethean Boards, and internet sites for math. I would like to incorporate some Web 2.0 tools in my lessons like podcasts, blogs, and wikis because I believe that that will encourage the participation of my students and enhance their learning. The Web 2.0 tool that interests me the most is the podcast because I could differentiate for the different learning styles and also make the lessons accessible to students for who English is not the first language. -Maria M. Henry
I am in interested in using podcasting because I could replay lessons or directions for ESOL 1 students. I could also post podcasts on my edline page and my students could access the lessons from home. Many of my students are very motivated and ask for extra practice. Blogging encourages my students to read and write in English. The following websites provide independent practice for ESOL students http://www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/,http://www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/,and http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
I'd like to be more proficient in using the computer with my students. It is a high motivator for ESOL 1 students because many of them haven't used a computer before. I try to incorporate the use of technology as often as possible. The students also take a considerable amount of time to complete task on the computer.
I feel that I am very lucky to have such a wealth of technology available to me in my school. I teach in a brand new school (it is not even 3 years old), so we have many new technologies available to use. My students enjoy their time at centers when they can use the classroom computers to play games, create murals, and even graphs (which we are currently working on). Our school library has a great collection of books on CD, so the children can listen and read at our listening center. I also take them to the school computer lab when I can to work on projects or play games. I can model how to navigate through the projects on the LCD projector, which makes it a lot easier for the students to follow along.
I found the website http://jc-schools.net.ppt.html extremely useful. This site has powerpoint slideshows and games already created by other teachers available to save and use in your own classroom. The site has the slides organized by subject and grade level, so they are easy to access. I found presentation on place value that I can't wait to have my students use as a review tool. It is a great review that is kid-friendly, so they can go through it during center time. There were also a few jeopardy review games that I would do as whole-group on the LCD projector.
The Webinar was very interesting and overwhelming. There is so much "free" information out there and software. I had no idea. It's overwhelming because it's hard to know where to begin or even how to implement it into my curriculum. It's is nice to know that there is free software out there that I can use and that could help my students.
Next year I would like to try using podcasts. I think it was Pam that mentioned using them for when students are absent. That's a great idea!! I don't know if I'll be able to do that next year, but using podcasts for a project I think would be a good start. When students have to do an oral project for me they usually have the option of powerpoint, poster board, etc. Next year I will incorporate podcasts.
I do want my students to use computers more and more, but I have one huge concern. More often than not when I allow students to use a computer for an assignment they immediately turn to a translator. I'm not opposed to translators because they can be like dictionaries. However, my students do not just look up one word, but they will type in whole paragraphs or slides and click translate. That defeats the purpose of them showing me what they have learned in Spanish. I love technology, but I'm always cautious about how my students use it.
With each Module assignment I am even more amazed at all of the technological advances that exist and the possibilities they offer, from a staff development perspective and classroom teacher perspective. We have a technology committee at our school and I have pondered how I might be able to work with the media specialist in a professional development capacity. She is a wonderful media specialist and I am sure she is aware of the open source software, but I would like to work collaboratively with her to identify how we might use this information to increase teacher capacity with students in the classroom. The media specialist and I are on the leadership team together. The team meets once a month for 1.5 hours and our meetings are jam packed with little to no time to address staff interests and concerns. The Zoho Jotspot has a team chat option where groups could collaborate and make decisions prior to the meeting, leaving more time to address other topics. Zoho also has a Notebook option where teachers could post lesson links and assignments for students that that are absent.
For my math students, I have already used the educational software at www.eduhound.com and http://directory.fsf.org/ to find information, worksheets, games, etc. for common fractions and decimal fractions. I plan on sharing this information with colleagues at our next staff meeting.
Although I am extremely excited about the available technology, time and consideration must be exercised in order for these resources to be effective and engaging. Without practice and some skill, the audience-staff and students, might lose patience with the presentation and the presenter.
With each Module assignment I am even more amazed at all of the technological advances that exist and the possibilities they offer, from a staff development perspective and classroom teacher perspective. We have a technology committee at our school and I have pondered how I might be able to work with the media specialist in a professional development capacity. She is a wonderful media specialist and I am sure she is aware of the open source software, but I would like to work collaboratively with her to identify how we might use this information to increase teacher capacity with students in the classroom. The media specialist and I are on the leadership team together. The team meets once a month for 1.5 hours and our meetings are jam packed with little to no time to address staff interests and concerns. The Zoho Jotspot has a team chat option where groups could collaborate and make decisions prior to the meeting, leaving more time to address other topics. Zoho also has a Notebook option where teachers could post lesson links and assignments for students that that are absent.
For my math students, I have already used the educational software at www.eduhound.com and http://directory.fsf.org/ to find information, worksheets, games, etc. for common fractions and decimal fractions. I plan on sharing this information with colleagues at our next staff meeting.
Although I am extremely excited about the available technology, time and consideration must be exercised in order for these resources to be effective and engaging. Without practice and some skill, the audience-staff and students, might lose patience with the presentation and the presenter.
There is so much technology out there, but when I plan to integrate technology in my classroom it can definetly get overwhelming at times. I must say that I try very consistently to integrate technology in my classroom as much as possible but it is tough.
First of all, I would like to expose my students to more math websites to practice different concepts in the MCPS curriculum. I will have the new goal that I will teach my students about one new website a month. The technology that I integrate into my classroom is a cd on a computer that my students sing and dance too. The cd has different math addition strategies on it. My students love it because they think it is a party but they are learning math while listening to it. I also use the overhead projector to teach different lessons, as well as, I take my students down to the computer lab where they play a math game called Mighty Math. I also show my students videos on united streaming, which is great because they have a video for just about anything. Another website that I like to use is www.edhelper.com which is great for math worksheets and quizzes.
In conclusion after writing this blog, I use technology in my classroom more than I thought but i would like to use it even more.
Nia mentioned that she would be interested in using Podcasts in her classroom. I have been very interested in using podcasts for training purposes also. MCPS currently have several professional development podcasts available for staff use. I was thrilled because of the conveniece of staff development "on the go" with the use of the MP3 players. However, after some investigating I became aware of the blocks at the elementary level that prevent the use of iPods on these computers. But the opportunity is still there for staff to use on their computers
Just this week I used storyonline in my reading groups to teach making meaningful connections. The website provides a variety of stories read by celebrities. I chose a text that students would be able to connect to. While we listened to the story the students recorded their connections. This was a great activity especially for my low students, because they did not have to worry about reading the text and could focus on making connections.
Every year I try to incorporate more technology into my classroom. My first year of teaching I used an overhead and chalk board. Now I use an lcd projector, power-point, interwrite technology, and videos to enhance lessons. This year I received turning-point software in which each student has a remote to answer multiple choice questions displayed on a power-point. The software collects all the data and puts it into reports to analyze. In addition to using turning point, I would like to start using a web page through thinkport to display important information to parents such as homework, upcoming tests, and field-trip information.
Technology is a valuable tool in my classroom, though it does sometimes take a back seat to more hands-on activities for my young students, especially at the beginning of the year. I use the Elmo projector a great deal in Math and Science in order to model a skill or to allow them all to observe something small at the same time. I also use PowerPoint to play review games which is very motivating for them. The part I struggle with most about technology is getting the kids to learn how to use it. Some young children struggle with fine motor skills and so using a mouse and keyboard is a challenge. Logging on to the computer using the keyboard is a challenge for them for the first few months of school. Once they've mastered the basics like logging in, getting on the internet, finding websites and games, etc then I can move on and really get into helping my kids learn new skills with various programs and websites. This for me is the most important benefit of technology.
Compared to many other schools in our county my school has been a bit behind in the use of technology. Having just gotten a laptop this year I actually used power point for the first time today in my classroom! It was a beautiful thing.
I might not be the best source of ideas but I have discovered something that works quite well for me. We have elmos and projectors that are used regularly for whole group instruction, but I recommend to the other reading teachers out there to use it for reading group instruction too. I love that I can display the text on my white board in reading group and then can write all over it by writing on the white board. We don't have large white boards at my school, so this is done with a smaller stand up white board. It works quite well!
I really enjoy using my blog in my classroom. It is a great resource to give out to my parents and also my students. It is very helpful for students who miss a class.
Incorporating technology in the classroom is a cool way to enhance learning. I fuse videos and quizzes from united streaming and virtual lab from various sites. Students really get into the lessons because it is interesting and the activity is hand on!
All of the different technology resources that I have gained from this course so far have been overwhelmingly wonderful and the course has practically just begun. Technology is such a great tool to meet the diverse needs of our students as well as keep them engaged.
It is hard for me to determine the level of technology first graders are able to utilize and navigate without my complete supervision. I know that I, personally, like to have a controlled and organized environment it would be a challenge for me to incorporate some of the more advanced technology without some careful planning and preparation. But, in the long run I know that the benefits would outweigh the challenge.
I would like to see technology used to enhance teaching and learning. As a future principal I plan to utilized technology as a communication tool.
Teachers and administrators could use technology as a learning tool, a communication tool, an assessment tool, a data collection tool, and an accountability tool.
Some examples of use are:
school web page, staff bios, virtual grades, collaboration software, homework sites, threaded discussions and blogs, links to resources etc.
These different uses of technology allows the administrator and the teacher alike to effectively teach, assess and communicate with all stakeholders.
Technology is what is going to make or break the US in the future. The choices that we make to show our future generations will determine if we are competitive in the future. In PE class I am starting a website and I will be putting updates of student work on it shortly.
Technology can help the students focus better, and learn the material being taught. Technology in the classroom will intrigue the student minds, and children would be engaged through out the lesson whatever it may be. Now a days children become hooked on video games at home, so why not use technology to there advantage and incorporate tools such as Wii fit for the students. Of course I am a physical educator at the Elementary level.
My students get very excited when I use my laptop and LCD projector to share pictures or Power Point presentations for presenting new vocabulary. Sometimes however, it is nice when I can share new websites because doing the same things with technology can become boring. I love when I have students ask questions that I can't answer so we can do a Google search in the middle of class. Instant information at our fingertips is great!
Technology is a great tool in the classroom. Students tend to pay more attention to the material that is being taught because they are intrigued by what they see. I usually use the laptop and LCD projector along with the Smartboard to introduce and review new vocabulary and spelling words with my students. Recently, they have learned Powerpoint and I placed their final presentation on our class Wikispace page. They feel proud of what they have done. They also like that they are able to show friends and family their work at home. I would like to continue to use Wikispaces, but I would like to add more projects and links for students to be able to use at home in their free time instead of playing video games or watching television.
Whether I like it or not, technology is here to stay, and incorporating it into our classrooms can only be beneficial. Our students are so used to technology. When teaching a new topic, most students will get a great deal more out of watching a video online than reading about it. For the record, I'm not a huge fan of this, but it's not about me, is it? Therefore, in my classroom, we frequently following up newly learned material by watching a video online. I've also found it fun to create a challenge activity for my third graders by producing a "web scavenger hunt." I produce a series of questions, and my students must search online to find the answers. They have a blast with this! We also listen to books on cd, and use a video visualizer. Instead of the overhead projector, the video visualizer projects books, workbook pages, or anything in color for the children to see. They enjoy going up and filling in an answer so they can see their finger on the screen in front of them!
Technology can be used in my classroom to:
1. Establish more prior knowledge before a reading through accessing pictures and additional facts about settings and topics.
2. Work with the Worldly Wise interactive vocabulary site.
3. Use brainpop for interactive grammar activities.
4. Have students word process their writing.
5. Use the internet for research.
6. Develop power points to display research.
7. Use a wikispace for a novel discussion forum.
Technology in the classroom is a useful and neccesary tool. The kids are surrounded by tech all the time. If the kids see you trying and using tech to help teach them, especially "cool" tech like Promethean and ActiveInspire they may even WANT to learn. Kids do appreciate when the "old ones" try new things and when we are successful we may actually get the results we were looking for... student success. Trying to stay one step ahead of the kids isn't always easy but we still have to make a valiant effort. Our kids need to be taught the three R's and a T... reading, riting, rithmatic, and technology. Let keep up our efforts!
You can use Web 2.0 technologies such as blogs and wikis to keep students interested in the topics being taught. The benefit of Web 2.0 technologies is that students can access them from home as well, so they can continue to explore and learn outside of the classroom. (Mike Leader, McDaniel)
I do my best to incorporate technology into my classroom everyday. I often use TumbleBooks to have my kids listen to story as well as watch the small animations that go along with each book. In my guided reading groups, I often use RAZkids. There are quizzes and activities you can do with the kids that go along with the books they are reading. I also use the Promethean software to create flipcharts for interactive games in both math and I.L.A.
Today my school did a summer institute on educational technology. We focused on the use of document cameras/software, flip video cameras, and photo story. I will share one really great idea that I walked away with. Flip video cameras are extremely user friendly and an awesome way to record student work. They have 3 buttons on them so children are excellent at using them. Children can read to the flip camera and then go back to hear their fluency and expression, plus you can do your running record at home! :)
Ideas I have to incorporate technology into my classroom is pretty simple - use what the school can give me. I've only got two desktop computers, so we work with those. I take advantage of the projector, promethian slate, and websites for kids that my school promotes. When teachers take advantage of what the school has for them, then we'll end up with more technology. If no one is using what we have, why would the school bother to spend money on technology?
I teach 2nd grade so my students are beginning to become fasicanated with technology. I can utilize the classroom computers during center time. I use my Visualizer daily to display worksheets, books, and pictures for the students. The students enjoy watching video clips too. This can be done by hooking up a laptop to the LCD projector.
I use technology in my classroom both to help make my teaching more efficient and engaging and also to help me communicate better with parents. I use CPS pads daily to allow myself immediate feedback from my students. It also helps when they are working on a test or a quiz because I can see if someone is completely on the wrong track and steer them back in the right direction. Also, when students finish a quiz, I can immediately let them know their score instead of waiting until I have time to grade them. To communicate with parents I have a blog which I update daily with homework assignments and also a Google calendar on which I post upcoming assessments. My calendar also has links to online study guides. I email all of the parents at the beginning of each unit with a list of objectives that will be taught and when tests and quizzes are tentatively scheduled. I also use the Pinnacle comment feature to let students know when they can complete assignments for half credit (and the date the assignment is due) and if they were absent, which assignments can be made up for full credit. There are definitely ways I can use technology more in my classroom and I look forward to learning how to use it!
Ashley, I like your idea of using Google calendar to keep parents up on due dates for assignments and tests. I have a distribution list through email (Outlook) which I use to email my parents every Monday. In that, I list the skills/objectives covered for the week and any important notes or dates at the bottom. Maybe Google calendar could be used instead? Or at least just for important dates... I have an assigned time for the computer lab each week. THis is something I initiated, not something all teachers at my school do. Because I have my time, I have to plan an activity for one of my content areas. It forces me to think about how I will use technology each week. I frequently use BrainPop and United Streaming videos. I have two computers in my classroom, which I have as part of centers during the reading block. Options for that are written out, step by step, and are activities students are familiar with so they can be done independently. Another tool I like to use is Audacity. It's a free program that records audio. I use it for oral retellings, fluency assessment data, and more. Students love hearing themselves. Sound can be embedded in other programs, like powerpoint. I've had students record stories and type them into ppt so other students could read and listen to them read at the same time.
I'm a elementary special education teacher. I work with a number of first grade students both individually and in small groups for reading, writing and some math. Using a Flip Video to record students doing anything is motivating, but they really enjoy reading their books using a bunch of different types of voices (goofy, monster, squeeky, whispers, etc.). I find it's a great way to encourage them to practice fluency skills and they don't even realize it. Sometimes, to practice comprehension skills, I will record them acting out parts of the story. They have to stop and consider what type of voices they need to use and what "action" should be included. When I work on writing skills, I often use Powerpoint because I can quickly insert photos and clip art to match the story they write. They love to leave with the freshly printed book they wrote. Their enthusiasm will carry over to other students as my students read it to teachers, classmates, and family. When other students see the "personalized" book, they often ask if they can write one too. This has been a great way to increase motivation for writing with kids who otherwise don't like to write.
I use technology in my classroom frequently. I use the computer programs fasttmath and iLearn with math intervention students. Both programs are self-paced and require minimal assistance for students. Fasttmath is for students who need practice with their basic math facts. ILearn helps students fill in gaps in skills and concepts from elementary and middle school. I also use Brainpops weekly to introduce new skills or review old ones. When visiting the co-taught classes I use their technology, including the Promethean Board. I use email and pinancle to contact parents and my website as a resource for students and parents. I post current skills and upcoming quizzes for my math intervention classes.
I teach Instrumental Music, and I would like to have a FLIP video camera or similar device to record performances of my students. I think this would be especially useful for our performance assessments. Students' individual performances could be recorded and saved. They can be collected into student portfolios to track progress, and also instantly sent via email to parents as well. It would also be helpful for a student to see himself/herself playing an instrument, so that he/she can monitor his/her own playing position, posture, instrument position, etc. I could use the camera to record myself demonstrating instrument techniques, or how a piece is supposed to sound. Students with computers at home could then review my teaching at home, or at another time in the computer lab for independent study. I'm sure there are many more uses.
Right now I am using technology in very basic ways. I have 2 computers that are used each day as a learning station during reading groups. I use email to communicate with parents. I am going to start using my scheduled computer lab time so that I can try out all of the great ideas I have gotten from this course. I am also going to have a Promethean board put in my room. Second grade has one and no one is using it. I think it is time for me to use it! I am looking forward to using more technology to motivate my students and me!
I teach in two completely different environments one being the gym and the other being in the classroom. I mostly teach P.E. but I am in the classroom for one term. I use technology with my students in both environments but I would like to learn ways I could use it more frequently.
In the gym I use technology in very simple forms. My students use pedometers that track their distance traveled and calories burned during their P.E. class. I use a fitness room frequently that has treadmills, elliptical, rowers and bikes. Students use the pulse sticks that tells them their heart rate. I also use the flip camera frequently for my students to record games, skill practice or offensive plays/strategies they create. I have showed them their recordings to reflect as well as learn from other groups and classes who have done a great job in a particular activity or unit. I do have a media cart in the gym that has my laptop and projector on it. I have a hard time using it with my students because our gym and exercise rooms have windows at the top of the ceiling and we can not reach them to cover it, so the light shines in. We have heart rate monitors but I have only used them once or twice because I have had a really hard time incorporating them effectively with my large class sizes.
In the classroom I have a computer cart which I use daily with PowerPoint’s for warm ups and daily objectives. I use the internet a lot to find video clips to enhance my lessons. I use brain pop and united streaming most frequently. I do not have any computers in my classroom at this point, but I feel it is something I should like in to. I have also used the flip camera and computer lab with my students as well.
I do try to enhance my lessons by incorporating technology but I feel there are many other forms of technology I could learn to use to keep my students more engaged and interested. My only concern is learning to manage it effectively with class sizes in the upper thirties as well as having enough resources to accommodate the large number of students.
There are many useful forms of technology if you teach Algebra I. Because they have started giving the HSA on the computer, one great way to have students practice is by going to www.mdk12.org and having students practice HSA questions in the form that the test will be given. There are also excellent slope games that can be found online,as well as many other resources that can be found via a variety of websites including www.math.com and www.thinkfinity.org. I currently use SmartNotebook software during class instruction, as well as IGPro for a gradebook, and Edline to communicate with students and parents. There are also many ways for students to use technology to complete out of class assignments, projects, or even extra credit opportunities.
I am beginning to use more technology in my classroom. I have always been a little skeptical because I'm not familiar with it and do not sometimes feel comfortable using it at times. I forget that my students know all about technology. I have just acquired five extra computers in my classroom that I use for various activities and for grouping students. Thinkport.org has many great ideas for use of technology in the classroom. I also use Brainpop to introduce many of my lessons as well as United Streaming along with interactive power points. I would like to be like Ashley and use the CPS program more in my classroom. It not only gives immediate feedback to students but also allows me to use time efficiently. The technology and differentiation class has really opened my eyes to the technology that is out there, and I am going to incorporate more technology into my classroom one step at a time.
We have a mobile computer lab. I would like to use a blog by assigning a chapter in a novel or text book and then telling the students to post a comment or answer a specific question or questions sometime during the class when they have completed the reading. While they move on to other activities, I can approve the posts and they can read each others comments. I really like the idea of adding some enrichment activities that the students can do at home, like online games, and then have them make comments about what they learned from them on the blog for homework. They may not even look at something like this as homework.
Technology in the classroom is necessary with our changing world and with our 21st Century learners.
Kids seem to know a lot about all sorts of technology, and they would benefit from utilizing their 21st Century skills. It seems to me, though, that there are sometimes issues with implementing it - there is not enough time available in the computer lab, or a student is absent, etc.
I think that the blogging idea (a medium for communication from several different people) can provide a solution to some of the issues because students can usually access the sites from home. So, a project or homework assignment could be completed from home. But... I have questions about how secure that networks can be for students. I was talking to a colleague and she told me about edmondo.com... ? She said that it is a great resource for blogging. I will soon be creating my own blog for some of my students. So, who says that technology really has to only be "in the classroom" what about "out of the classroom" as well???
I look forward to creating my own blog, as I type faster than I write, and I think that a blog is an interesting way to create a writing diary - which is what I have always loved to do!
We currently use clickers for our term quizzes in P.E. I would like to use these in my health classes as well. This would save me a lot of time grading papers and it would allow me to give immediate feedback to the students.
Technology is a huge motivator for students. My first goal for incorporating technology is to take inventory of what is already in use. As an intervention teacher, I help students access technology-based interventions like FASTT Math and MathWhizz daily. Making sure that I am using these programs to their full potential is essential. In addition to this, I would like to begin adding a tech element to my weekly instruction. In the past I have used BrainPop videos, LogoPaths/Shapes software, and Kidspirations to help teach math concepts. After exploring the Thinkfinity and Thinkport sites, I know realize the wealth of material available. My fifth graders will be entering their geometry unit around the time MSA is being administered. Utilizing some of the online applications on the Illuminations site will help to motivate my students.
One thing that I have learned about technology in the classroom, is to have patience and perseverance. This leads me to also say pick one technology to implement successfully and then try another. Doing too much at once is where I feel people get frustrated and then they give up all together. Our students love technology, I found that out the other day when I was showing our class the homework chart on line. This reinforced that have to do whatever it takes to become comfortable with new technology.
This blogging idea is one that our Arts team is currently kicking around to use in class. Students are very motivated by technology and communicating. This would be a great vehicle for students to combine the two things they like most as middle schoolers (talking and typing). Finding a safe place to do this continues to be the challenge.
Surprisingly, students are not familiar with the blogging concept. They seem to have a hard time grasping the idea of sharing information that is not social. However, linking the two ideas together... a facebook for education... is a possibility.
Now that we have thinkport and thinkfinity as resources we can access information pertaining to our content areas and use them with our students. The fun is just beginning. We can bring the computer lab to our rooms and individulize programs according to each students' needs and we won't have to wait to a specific day of the week. Computer day every 24/7.
I think being able to use technology in a classroom is a wonderful thing. The students love the the "buzz and whistles" of that technology has to offer. I would love to be able to use more gadgets and gizmos in my instruction. However, the county that I teach in has done a number of budget cuts. So, there isn't money for the lastest and greatest pieces. In fact in the school that I work at most of the computers are working on the previous Microsoft Office.
I hope to integrate technology into my classroom more and more each year. Students constantly see the computer as a "special" tool to use when learning, so whenever I can have students use one I try to do so. I would like students to become more familiar with using the computer to do research (as a reference) and also as a word processor. For many of my students with special needs, their fine motor is a challenge. However, there are really great word processing programs for students such as WordQ and Kurzweil, that are word prediction programs, read sentences out loud to students, or have students type the initial letter of words and they fill in the rest. I would like to use these programs more in the classrooms. The biggest challenge I find is getting my students to the point that they are independent with these word processing programs. I would like to collaborate more with our occupational therapist and try to not only work on traditional writing, but also fine motor skills to type so that they can become familiar and independent with these programs. I would like to use these tools more in my classroom to promote technology and my students' learning.
I try to use the latest technology in my classroom. I need to keep up with what the students enjoy using. My last piece of technology is the ActivPanel. The students get so excited when I turn it on for a lesson. I have never seen more motivation to come up and answer a problem as I have when I turn the Panel on. I really want to incorportate iPads into my classroom, but I'm running into a snag. They are considered a computer and if I get an iPad, it puts my building over its limit. I will be trying to find a way around this snag. I believe every teacher can benefit from iPads and their apps. I attend webinars often on apps and the benefits of the iPad. I feel it is the next best piece of equipment to implement into my classroom.
Learning from experience, education certification classes, and graduate classes, I understand the importance of varying your teaching techniques each day. There are so many forms of technology that it can be confusing but it's important to remember to vary your style each class so as to accommodate all learners. I've also found that along with variation in each lesson, there needs to be some consistency so that students feel a sense of control over their learning. For example, you may want to post your objective, warm-up, agenda, and homework on a PowerPoint presentation at the start of each class. This way, students know what to expect and you can incorporate simple technology at the start. Then, you may want to include a video clip or Internet demonstration, a song, an interactive game, an online quiz (www.studyspanish.com) or survey (www.surveymonkey.com) etc for the remainder of the class. This way, students can feel stability in their classroom but at the same time, are not bored by the use of the same technology day after day.
Technology plays an important part in my math curriculum. All of the lessons and resources are on the intranet. Every math teacher has an inter-write board and projector to instruct with the math curriculum. Brain-Pop is also used to introduce or reinforce the concepts. Brain-Pop is a short video clip on different math concepts. The students enjoy Brain-Pop. I want to start using ThinkPort and ThinkFinity to reinforce and enhance the math lessons. These sites offer math clips, math lesson plans, interactive manipulatives, and a lot more other resources.
I would like to start incorporating Thinkport into my classroom. I was surprised to see the all of the types of interactive activities that are available on that site. The museum is a cool way for students to demonstrate what they have learned from a unit. It can be leveled for the varying levels of students in my classroom.
I have set up a ning site for my advanced class. A Ning site is like a "educational Facebook," where the students and the teacher can communicate with one another about information pertaining to the class. It is great for posting homework assignments, read and response postings,as well as posting instructional videos or resources that the students can use for the class. Since most of my students love using their phones to check their Facebook and Twitter, I want my students to engage themselves in using Ning in order to be an active participant in their learning in my classroom.
I am a huge supporter of using technology in the art classroom, but due to budget constraints, am very limited to what I can use. Also, there are websites and programs that we are not allowed to use at all such as YouTube, Facebook, and material that is found unsuitable for young children is automatically blocked. I can not even get into some websites during my planning time about some of the most famous artists (will say "Due to graphic content, this site is blocked"). We use Active Votes that are incorporated into websites like Brain Pop. I also like using the Active Slate. However, those have to be signed out way in advance or else I lose my opportunity to use them for a particular unit. I do not have an active white board, yet have created quite a few lesson plans in an Active Inspire/Promethean class. Also, I only have my computer, which the children are not allowed to touch. I do use Power Point presentations alot and have many learning centers to help encourage other levels of Taxonomy. We also use Tumble Books, which looks like fun for the children, but is very limited in art themes. I also have some interactive DVD programs, but the children watch me use them, since they are not allowed to access my computer. Any ideas anyone how I can incorporate more than what I have already done?
I would like to start using the lab quests more often in my classroom to collect data, We are currently set up with only enough for demonstration purposes but I haven't really invested enough time into figuring out hot to use them. I know thy are not hard to use so I use have to identify a few places that a demonstration would fit in.
Besides DVD’s and the overhead I am currently limited to the computer and LCD projector as “advanced” technology. One technology I currently use is PowerPoint to introduce vocabulary in picture format. However, with some of the new websites I am finding through my grad class I now know there is much more out there. I could use my computer to download videos of native speakers as well as games in Spanish to practice grammar and vocabulary. I also plan on incorporating the use of a Wikis in both my 7th and 8th grade classes. I could use them for missed assignments, new assignments, involving parents or even journaling. We also recently received microphones and headphones for the computers. Students are now able to record themselves speaking Spanish and check for pronunciation. They can also go to other sites to listen to native speakers and further practice their pronunciation. I would also like to try the idea of electronic portfolios for my 6th graders. In conjunction with the microphones they could record their speaking progress from the start of 6th grade Spanish until its end. Now I am introduced to Blogging and considering using it (if allowable). I could use it as way to involve parents and get their feedback, Spanish class posts, or even as a way to connect with native Spanish speakers in other countries. It’s all very exciting!
I would like students to compile a performance portfolio (or electronic portfolio) to track and show their progress and accomplishments. Students will have the opportunity to use current technology to create their collection of artifacts including dance videos through the use of technology. The folio will represent student growth, holding drafts, reflections and finally examples of each student’s finished products. I have had students move out of our area to other parts of the country or the world. With their performance portfolio, they will have an accurate record of their accomplishments in dance. Their new teachers can use the information to place students in the proper level class, note the student's learning style and preferences, and place them in correct flxible learning groups.
I would love to start adding more technology into my classroom. I need to get over my fears and apprehensions about trying something new to "speak their language". One of the first things that came to my mind was the use of the electronic portfolio. Not so much for my classroom in specific, but advisories in our county have all juniors do a mock interview in which they are required to produce a portfolio. Right now, its all in a binder and seems old fashioned and irrelevant. How interesting would it be to start incorporating the electronic portfolio? I can also see myself using a blog like this for my AP and Honors classes. Im even thrilled at the idea of being able to communicate with them over snow days and such! (I dont think they would appreciate that :)) I feel much more in control when using this feature as oppose to the wiki. Either way, I think that it is time to break away from the basics of the projector and one computer classroom.
Students are accustomed to using technology in their everyday lives. Incorporating technology into the classroom is a must in order to engage students.
There are many valuable technology tools to ease parent-teacher communications. Parents and teachers can contact one another very easily using email. Teachers can communicate grades, assignments, etc. through various technological resources.
I would like to have my students use computers on a daily basis. There are great reading resources for young readers like Starfall.com, tumblebooks.com, and scholastic.com. I also wish I had more time to teach them things like how to use the keyboard, because so many of them have trouble typing. There are many free games that kids can use to practice like www.freetypinggame.net. I think that getting an LCD projector will help me to show the kids a lot of the resources that I find online. I will also be able to clearly show them how to use different programs like Microsoft word, powerpoint, and excel.
I use technology on a daily basis. We use word processor to write stores, we have a listening station on razkids.com, and we also have a computer station with many games for children to play during their time at the computer station. I utilize smart charts and power points to teach my lessons. I also use brainpop.com to reinforce concepts often. I think technology is a fabulous tool to use in the classroom and it is important for all students and teachers to be given the opportunity to utilize it.
This is my first year working with a primary grade, 2nd. Centers are new to me and I was a bit nervous about what to have the kids do for each rotation. After getting ideas from other 2nd grade teachers and our SDT, I decided to incorporate our N-Computing station (4 computers) into center rotations. I've used WordArt for the "Create A Title" lesson, online number lines, and various reading activities. It has been useful for improving typing skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving.
I love using the SmartBoard in the classroom. Every morning the students sign themselves in for the day using a SmartBoard interactive activity. They drag their little sunshine with their name in it to the "Present" section. It seems so simple, but the students love taking ownership of themselves.
To enhance physical education instruction and learning, there are many forms of technology that could be integrated. Pedometers are a low-cost tool that will promote student engagement. Pedometers keep track of how many steps are taken during a period of time. Students will be amazed at the number of steps that they took during class and that everyone should have a goal of 10,000 steps every day. Heart rate monitors are another great tool to engage all learners; however, these are quite expensive and require constant cleaning. A heart rate monitor set includes a belt that is worn over the lower notch of the sternum under one's clothing. This set also includes a watch, which receives the data and displays the heart rate. This data will help students monitor their heart rate to ensure that they remain within their target heart rate zone during physical activity.
One resource that has been particularly appealing to me over the past year or two is WriteOnline. This web-based program allows for students to log in online, begin typing an assignment and then at home, with internet access, they can log on to finish. This helps students who do not have their own flash drive to save documents on. It also includes multiple tools such as a "read-to" feature, word banks, and word prediction. My students with disabilities love this program and I love it too! :o)
In my opinion, in order for technology to be effective and engaging to students, it must be used on a consistent basis across all curricular areas. Currently, I use a Promethean board as a part of my everyday teaching practice, as well as for center rotations and group activities considering its interactive capabilities. I also utilize other technological software during the literacy block, such as BoardMaker, Natural Reader, and Tumble Books, which have been great resources that support my students as they read and write. Additionally, One Note, which is a resource I have begun using this year, is an extremely effective and easy planning tool that has supported me and my team by “bundling” our plans and resources into one central location. However, admittedly, I do not utilize technology as much as I would like in all subjects. Math seems to be one area in which, other than the Promethean, I tend to lag behind in terms of technology. As a result, I would like to enhance this practice and focus more of my energy on managing technology in all areas.
I love the idea someone else posted about setting up a class webpage. With teaching primary grades, my class webpage would be geared more towards parents with the goal of opening up more communication with parents. It would provide parents with updates on classroom information such as important date reminders, fieldtrips, monthly newsletters, and pictures of our classroom activities. I would also like to include a kid page that would have some links to the kid-friendly websites we use in class. I’ve used www.scholastic.com before to set up a class webpage but I found it a little confusing to navigate and update. I’d be interested in searching for other free sites that are easy to use for beginners setting up a webpage.
I am interested in expanding my horizons with the resources I teach my students to use on the computer. Being a primary teacher, I have mostly stuck with kid-friendly websites and software that offers literacy and math games. I’ve also showed my students how to explore with www.pebblego to do research on a topic. Melissa, the “read to me” program you mentioned is one I’d like to learn more about. It sounds like something very useful for my young learners and I’m wondering if your students can use it independently?
I always thought that I did a pretty good job with integrating technology. That was, of course, until I started taking a call on differentiation and technology. Boy! My eyes have been opened.
It's been fascinating to learn about the variety of ways that I can incorporate technology into my classroom.
One of the things that I've started to do is record a mini-lesson or recap of what we learned in school that day. I created a YouTube channel and it has helped many of my students 1) complete their homework and equally importantly 2) avoid stress with their parents.
I really look forward to continuing to incorporate technology into the classroom.
We have just moved into a new school this year so we have a lot of new technology to learn. We now have Promethean Boards so that is a huge learning curve for all teachers. We know that our students will love the interactive white board once we all learn how to make flipcharts.
Currently we are piloting the MAP-P assessments for math by NWEA in kindergarten and grade one. These tests are given in the computer lab and are computer adaptive assessments so the difficulty increases as students click on correct answers. That too has been quit an eye-opening experience as teachers watch how their students struggle with the mouse to answer their math questions. Little fingers sometimes can't reach to do a left click. I think we are discovering many students at that age do not use the computer much at home, so additional computer practice will be necessary at school.
As a physical educator, I have been able to use many forms of technology in the classroom.
I have recently introduced the Smart Board into my gym and the kids love it. They are very comfortable with it, and I think most of them know more about it than me. I am slowly getting more and more comfortable with it, and it is getting easier to use it in more of my lessons.
I have also used pedometers, cameras, flip cams and dance dance revolution. The use of technology is a great thing, as long as it is used to enhance a lesson, not take it over. The students are in PE to learn to move and technology can help them to do that.
I only have 1 computer in my classroom, so using technology is tricky especially with Kindergarten students. This is also my first year with a SmartBoard, so I am learning more and more fascinating things each day to share with the kids!
The best thing that I can do with my kids is to take them to the school computer lab. 5 year olds are joyfully overwhelmed with the idea of 30 computers and everyone being able to have their own!
I like the new direction that technology is playing in our everyday teaching lives, but I also expect that the county could help centralize some of the budget to provide access to this technology to more classrooms.
One way to incorporate technology into the classroom is through Discovery Streaming videos. They have a large selection of videos, and the videos are already broken down into shorter sections so you can focus information. They can be downloaded into your hard drive and embedded into ActiveInspire flipcharts to reinforce instruction.
The best thing that has worked for me is to use Smart Technology and make lesson plans or use some that are already made for the smart baord. Smart Technology is user friendly and has many interactive tools for teacher use.
I feel that with the way the world is now (ipod, ipad, smartboard, ps3, etc.)holding students' attention and motivating them can prove to be difficult. However, technology is a great tool to combat this difficulty. Introducing your students to topics through technology can leave a lasting learning impression.
I am very interested in incoporating technology into my daily classrom. Currently I do not have a Promeathean board in my classroom, but I have signed up for the computer lab and my class has made use of cites such as: Glogster, WordPress, and Wordle. These cites were great ways to incoporate technology into my reading/writing class.
I am very interested in trying to incoporate technology into my classroom and teaching. Currently I do not have a Promeathean Board, but I have taken my class to the computer lab. We have used cites such as glogster, WordPress, and Wordle for reading/writing projects and activities. My students were engaged and eager to complete the assignments. Teachnology is a great way to reach our students. We live in such a fast paced technology driven world that it is beneficial to them that we in the teaching/education world catch up and meet their needs.
I try to use technology in the classroom as much as possible. With that being said, I would like to incorporate it more into my lesson plans. Within my classroom I have five computers (one teacher computer and four student computers) and an ELMO. We use the ELMO and the student computers on a daily basis. As of now, the student computers are used during math and reading centers for students to access programs such as One More Story, Starfall, etc. I would like to incorporate more technology into my lessons (videos from Discovery Education, power points, etc.) This is my grade levels second year teaching Curriculum 2.0, as I am becoming more familiar with the curriculum, I am trying to incorporate more technology and would love to learn ideas on how to do so.
Describe your use of iDevices or Androids in your classroom.
I would like to use technology in my classroom by creating a blog space for my students to post their comments on a shared reading,what I would call a book-talk group but by blogging!When student learn how to use technology they can then create different ways to express what they know.
Well, I don't know what an Android is. I take it an Idevice is an Ipad or Ipod? I suppose students could listen to a weekly podcast dedicated to learning a language, either as a class or individually at home.
I appreciate that an abundance of technology is available in my school, but I wish there was someone there to train teachers in how to use everything available. I took a SMARTboard class on my own last summer for a total of 16 hours. I gave up two days during the summer to take the class, but it was free and worth a credit, so it was worth it. Now, I'm pretty comfortable creating my own SMARTboard lessons and activities.
I have never used idevices or Androids in my classroom other than my iPod when applicable to share a piece of music with my students. We don't have Ipads yet, but I think we may be getting them for kindergarten (to grow with the students) fairly soon. Hopefully, the trend will continue and by 2015, I might see them in my classroom! We use Activotes that are little handheld devices like phones that the students can choose or type an answer to a teacher constructed question. I guess this is the closest we've come to iAnything.
I have two classroom computers and I always use them as a learning center during reading group rotations. I vary the activity each week. I am usually able to find an online learning game that reinforces the skills we are learning in reading or language arts. Once students finish the game(s), they have options for their spelling words. They may type them in ABC order, they may type them in colorful and fancy fonts, they may type a poem or story using their spelling words. They can do this in a Word document or in PowerPoint. It works out very well, and the students always remain on task in this center -- they LOVE the opportunity to use the computers!
We have a SMARTboard, 3 student computers an IPad and Ipod in our classroom. Both the IPad and IPod are available to the students during center time if they are in the listening center. Because I was in the inclusion class this year they were also used as rewards for some of the special needs students when they completed academic tasks they were asked to do. Both the SMARTboard and 3 student computers were available to the students during center time and sometimes the computers were used during pull out to work on specific skills.
I have a Smartboard and 2 student computers. I use the Smartboard every day for literacy, math and content. In my Smartboard lessons I attach videos of Sesame Street, electric company, as well as discovery education videos that pertain to the objectives. My students use the student computer for a listening center and use TumbleBooks to listen to books. Several students also use the computers for phonics intervention and shape manipulation during our math geometry unit.
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