1. I have many favorite tools! If I had to pick only one it would have to be Edmodo as it completely transformed my classroom this past year and will continue to do so in the future! I love Prezi and Animoto for presenting. I look forward to creating another Blogger to use for my students as well.
I am hoping to let my students create math tutorial videos to upload to a class blogger this year. Last year I created many tutorials we used edmodo to view, but I want to let the students to be the creators this time around!
2. This past year I was very set on integrating more technology into my classroom. I believe I was pretty successful doing so, however, it was not enough! I am looking forward to incorporating new tools into my classroom and letting my students explore and dig their own tunnels to find the treasure of math comprehension rather than just sticking to one highway!
3. There was nothing that was unexpected. As I mentioned I was lucky enough to have been a part of the T3 grant so I have actually heard of alot of the things before. However, as always there are new things poppinfg up everyday and I am excited to change the way I teach!! : )
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Tool #10 Digital Citizenship
There are many things that are important for our students to understand about digital citizenship. Three that I think are especially important:
1. Nothing is a secret on the internet. What you post can and likely will spread to many people. Don't write anything you wouldn't mind sharing with anyone you meet or don't meet!
2. Understand how to differentiate between reliable and not necessarily reliable sources on the internet. Anyone can post anything they want on the internet thus seeing is not believing. Teaching digital literacy is crucial!
3. Understand why and what SBISD acceptable use guidelines are.
I found the brainpop videos to be useful for helping my students learn about digital citizenship. I would not have much time to set aside for talking about this so a brainpop video would be very helpful!
I also think it would be good for me to set the brainpop videos up as an edmodo activity to be completed at home with the parents. The students and parents can then take the quiz together and email me the results!
1. Nothing is a secret on the internet. What you post can and likely will spread to many people. Don't write anything you wouldn't mind sharing with anyone you meet or don't meet!
2. Understand how to differentiate between reliable and not necessarily reliable sources on the internet. Anyone can post anything they want on the internet thus seeing is not believing. Teaching digital literacy is crucial!
3. Understand why and what SBISD acceptable use guidelines are.
I found the brainpop videos to be useful for helping my students learn about digital citizenship. I would not have much time to set aside for talking about this so a brainpop video would be very helpful!
I also think it would be good for me to set the brainpop videos up as an edmodo activity to be completed at home with the parents. The students and parents can then take the quiz together and email me the results!
Tool #9 Incorporating Technology
I have found that many of our students see technology as a chance to play rather than learn. This can have its advantages and disadvantages in a classroom. I have many times technology thrown into a classroom just to have it in the lesson rather than it be an integral part of a lesson. With education currently trying to transform it is crucial to not just throw technology into a lesson but rather plan it to align with your objective and TEK you are teaching as to ensure it benefits the students.
It goes along with this that students must be held accountable when using technology in a classroom. Since many students at my school only see technology as entertainment they may not realize the benefit or the purpose of the activity they have completed that day without taking the time to do some kind of reflection. This also helps students stay on task. As mentioned in the blog many times while students are working on a station using technology the teacher is pulling a small group or doing one on one work with other students. Since the students are not being directly monitored there must be some form of accountability check to ensure they stay on task and focused during the time they have to use the technology.
I really enjoy using MangaHigh in my classroom. The 'games' on this website are actually very fun yet truly utilize skills the students are learning in my class. I had several students ask to come play MangaHigh after school or during lunch this past year!
I also enjoy some of the resources on Manipula Math. One in particular I liked was on ratios of area and side lengths. The applet available here are pretty specific, thus would be helpful ways to let students see a concept they are struggling with from another point of view.
Many of the apps listed as free in our database actually had a fee, so I did not get to look at many of them. I liked the Freddy Fraction game for students having difficulty with conversions, however there were times when multiple answers were correct and one was counted incorrect.
The MathSnacks App is noce to have as well. I have used MathSnacks in my classroom before and it is great to have the app rather than having kids go to the website to search!
I look forward to using the Ipad as a way for students to record themselves showing how they worked through problems and then sharing it with others!!
It goes along with this that students must be held accountable when using technology in a classroom. Since many students at my school only see technology as entertainment they may not realize the benefit or the purpose of the activity they have completed that day without taking the time to do some kind of reflection. This also helps students stay on task. As mentioned in the blog many times while students are working on a station using technology the teacher is pulling a small group or doing one on one work with other students. Since the students are not being directly monitored there must be some form of accountability check to ensure they stay on task and focused during the time they have to use the technology.
I really enjoy using MangaHigh in my classroom. The 'games' on this website are actually very fun yet truly utilize skills the students are learning in my class. I had several students ask to come play MangaHigh after school or during lunch this past year!
I also enjoy some of the resources on Manipula Math. One in particular I liked was on ratios of area and side lengths. The applet available here are pretty specific, thus would be helpful ways to let students see a concept they are struggling with from another point of view.
Many of the apps listed as free in our database actually had a fee, so I did not get to look at many of them. I liked the Freddy Fraction game for students having difficulty with conversions, however there were times when multiple answers were correct and one was counted incorrect.
The MathSnacks App is noce to have as well. I have used MathSnacks in my classroom before and it is great to have the app rather than having kids go to the website to search!
I look forward to using the Ipad as a way for students to record themselves showing how they worked through problems and then sharing it with others!!
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Tool # 8 The Devices
I have been lucky enough to have been selected to be a part of T3 for the past years. Thanks to this grant I
have had 8 MacBooks in my classrooms as well as other pieces of
technology. I do not feel that I have learned anything from this tool
that I did not already know about the technology. The only new thing I saw on the videos was how to find the searchable database for apps and other SBISD approved things.
Having had this technology in my room these past few years I have found having a routine which regularly includes the technology helps greatly. My technology has a designated area in my classroom in which it is used. My students know it is not allowed to leave this area without permission. I also have this area set up as to my students are facing the wall, thus the computer screen is displayed where I can see it at all times. This helps keep students on task!
Having had this technology in my room these past few years I have found having a routine which regularly includes the technology helps greatly. My technology has a designated area in my classroom in which it is used. My students know it is not allowed to leave this area without permission. I also have this area set up as to my students are facing the wall, thus the computer screen is displayed where I can see it at all times. This helps keep students on task!
Monday, July 30, 2012
Tool #7 Online Digital Projects
My partner and I had discussed the concept of "big projects" before leaving school for the summer. We have looked into using Mathalicious as a base of where to get some ideas from, and form competitions between our classes. We planned on doing this by using either Edmodo or a Google Doc to compare classroom ideas. One o the lessons I had looked into creating a big project out of is on unit rate, rates, and proportions! Iphone dmensions helps students understand ratios and proportions without resort to cross multiplication shortcuts just to find an answer.
Tool #6 Web Tools for Discussion
I used Edmodo this past school year in my classroom. Originally I had planned on using it in a flipped class kind of atmosphere, however I quickly saw many students were not successful with this method, thus it became more of a supplement instruction. The videos were still assigned as homework twice a week, but they also received direct instruction in class. I also used it regularly as a work station students would respond to either videos, quizzes or higher level questions since I had 8 Mac Books in my room this past year.
Please visit my edmodo page here!
I would love to try to use Skype this upcoming year to visit with other math classrooms. I have had a personal Skype account for several years but am excited to use a school account to do questions of the week with other classrooms!
Please visit my edmodo page here!
I would love to try to use Skype this upcoming year to visit with other math classrooms. I have had a personal Skype account for several years but am excited to use a school account to do questions of the week with other classrooms!
Friday, July 27, 2012
Tool #5 Web 2.0
Make your own slide show at Animoto.
Candies R' Us Comix
I loved using the comix!!! I read on Kyle's blog that she thinks it could be used by students to show how they solved a problem. Rosa also mentioned using it to prompt students writing. I think both of these are great ideas. I created the following comix for a project I do on volume and surface area every year. I think the kids will really enjoy it as an opener to what they will be doing!!
I also made a short animoto with pictures of the pythagorean theorem. Students could use animodo to take their own images of math related things and put them into an animoto to present.
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