Creating a Class Website

Having an ongoing project throughout the semester that kept track of all of our assignments was a great way to teach us how to use a website. When I was first told I would have my own website I didn't think I was capable of it--it sounds pretty intense. However, we were guided through the steps and I was able to create the design of my website. We were given a storyboard that showed us the layout and this was very helpful. Deciding on my two choice pages was difficult at first, but I decided to do School Supplies and Student of the Week Award.

Learning how to create a website and the importance of keeping it updated has prepared me for being a teacher. Most schools force teachers to have classroom websites, but even if I wasn't forced to have one, I would still include one. Since everything is digital and online these days, a website is a wonderful way to keep parents up to date about what is happening in the classroom. Putting links to resources can help parents find activities and games for their students to do at home to help sharpen their skills. Parents will feel like they are a part of the community.

Including a classroom blog will also be beneficial in my classroom. I want parents to comment on my blog and have conversations on it, as well as offer suggestions to improve it. (I would love suggestions on the website as well.) Communication between parents and the teacher is vital to have an effective learning environment for the students.

Overall, I feel confident in my technological skills from TPTE 486 to create a wonderful classroom full of learning.

Digital Story with iMovie

Celebrate the Earth with Me

This week we have been creating digital stories in the classroom. We completed a short worksheet about digital stories, such as their purpose, what they can be about, and typical length. We learned what a story board is and looked at examples of both digital stories and story boards.

I think digital stories can be used a lot in the classroom. You take a topic and create a story about it and include music that goes along with it. Since kids today are so attached to the television and computers, learning about a topic in the form of a digital story is right up their alley.

Before you begin a story board, it is vital you complete a story board first. A story board is an outline of what your digital story will look like. You write down which picture you are going to use and a the accompanying caption. This lets you see an outline of the digital story and to envision what it will look like.

I decided to use a poem about the earth for my digital story called, "Celebrate the Earth with Me." It was one of the ideas listed in our TPTE booklet, and I thought since I will be teaching 1st grade next year that it would be a fun way to teach students about poems and the earth. This topic coincides with my inquiry based activity, which was Science (the water cycle) and my IWB, which was Geography and learning about the earth. I like how all of my projects this semester have been consistent with a theme. This digital story shows students the beauty of the earth and how we need to respect and appreciate it. In my classroom, I could use this digital story as an introduction to a lesson about recycling.

I haven't finished my digital story yet--I'm still working on the music and transitions, but I have all of my pictures embedded into it. Hopefully I will like the finished product!

Inspiration 9

I had a lot of fun creating this diagram for my TPTE class. Inspiration 9 was a lot easier to maneuver and figure out than the IWB/Flipchart activity, so it was nice to go from an assignment that took a lot of time to figure out to one that didn't. I think the hardest part for me was choosing the colors :).

Once I decided on the standard I would use, I drew out my storyboard. This definitely helped with this assignment because if I didn't have a layout of what I was going to do, then it would have taken me forever to make this diagram. The storyboard kept me organized. I'm a visual learner and I think this would help my students in the classroom learn new material, especially ones who are visual learners. First grade Reading was my focus for this assignment, but I think diagrams, maps, and webs would be very helpful when teaching Science and Social Studies as well. Timelines are a great visual to learn about history, and as a teacher, I can make my own using Inspiration 9. For science, any new terms I can add a picture to and make connections that the students can see. There are many ways to use this in the classroom.

I feel like my finished project looks very simple, but that was the point because it is for 1st graders and they can't handle too much information. However, if I were to make a diagram, map, or web for the older grades, I could include more information and more links.

So far, I've been hanging in there with all of these technology projects.

IWB Reflection

Overall, I am very pleased with the outcome of my Flipchart. It really wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Once I decided what I wanted to do, I did not have many problems at all. When I was doing the change color to reveal, I had to try a few times to make sure the ordering of the text and layers were correct so that the words would show up when I used the fill tool.

Embedding the video was not hard at all. I'd say the hardest part was finding a video on the internet that I liked. I used one I found on YouTube that was created by a 2nd grade class that was very informational and entertaining. I thought it would be a good video to use since the focus of my Flipchart is for 2nd grade.

I think learning about Interactive White Boards as a preservice teacher is very beneficial for many reasons. When we are finally interning at the schools or even when we are hired as a teacher, we are going to be so overwhelmed with everything, from getting the classroom ready, organizing lesson plans to correlate with the curriculum, applying the TN standards, learning about the new school, etc. that we won't have time to learn about IWB's. We won't want to spend the time taking a course outside of school to learn how to create a Flipchart. Having learned the tools necessary to create one and to have the directions in our packet will prepare us for the day we are in the classroom. I am very thankful TPTE 486 covers this.

I think creating another Flipchart on my own for a different grade and subject level would be very beneficial to me and would let me see how well I really understand IWB. I will definitely be using Flipcharts in my classroom because they are entertaining and I know students will love them!

Interactive White Board project/ActivInspire

I officially started my Interactive White Board project and so far I like what I have done! I decided to do 2nd grade Social Studies and my title is "Our World." Second graders learn about the continents and oceans and how these look on a globe and world map. I thought this would be a great topic for my first ActivInspire experience. I spent some time filling out my Storyboard and that helped tremendously! Dr. Obannon was SO right when she said the Storyboard helps us. As I was working on my project, I would look at my Storyboard to see what would go on the next page and which activity I would do. This kept me very organized and I ended up saving myself a lot of time. It helps seeing the project on paper before you begin to actually do it because it can be overwhelming with so many options to choose from.

So far, I have used the Erase to Reveal, Change color to Reveal, and Identify and Label, and the Magic Revealer. The step-by-step instructions in the packet are very clear and I wouldn't have been able to get as far as I have without them. I think I may include one more interactivity to my project, but that will have to wait because I have to pack for the beach! My flight leaves tonight, but I will finish the project as soon as I get back.

I think Interactive White Board activities are a GREAT addition to the classroom. Kids love coming to the board during class and the activities are tailored towards kids' interests. The Magic Revealer is so much fun to use! As well as the Erase to Reveal and Change color to Reveal. It is a fun way for students to learn. Since you can reset the pages, students can quiz themselves as many times as they need to when they are studying. Interactive White Boards can be created for any age group--they are so versatile! I think this project has been my favorite so far and I can't wait to use them in my classroom one day.\

ActivInspire--My Experience So Far

We have started to work with ActivInspire and at first I felt very overwhelmed. After having two classes to practice with it, I feel like I am starting to get the hang of it. Dr. Obannon said that it is something that you have to mess around with and play with and once you do this, you will feel like you understand how it works.

I feel like since this there are so many different options you can choose from, I will have a hard time deciding on which interactive activity I want to do. I can choose from pull tabs, fill in the background, erasers, ordering, matching, making patterns, etc. This will be the hardest part for me because I am the most indecisive person known to man.

I still need to decide on a topic and lesson area that I want to focus on. I have already used Science in this class, so I will probably choose something Social Studies, Math, or Reading based. I am not sure which grade level I would like to do, but since 4th grade was my focus for my Inquiry Based Activity, I will probably do 1st or 2nd.

I am glad the midterm is over with. I scored a 94% and I am very happy with this grade. This is evidence that I am understanding what we are learning and that I am finally starting to get the hang of how to use technology.

Digital Images

 

I didn't know much about digital images on the web and what is considered legal and what is prohibited in terms of using people's photos. I think this is something that everyone needs to know before they use pictures off of the web. I'm glad we were introduced to websites such as www.pics4learning.com because I only knew to use Google images when I needed pictures. Pics4learning contains tons of free photos for educational purposes, and this is exactly what I will need in my classroom one day.

It's important to know how to resize pictures: go to Tools and click Adjust Size. Simply dragging the arrows does not officially change the size of the picture. You can only make pictures smaller--if you make them bigger, they will be blurry. It's also important to name the images you save so when you go to upload them, they are easy to find.

I chose to make a slideshow of sunsets from around the world. The pictures are absolutely beautiful. I found them on Pics4learning, and they are pictures from places such as Santorini, Laguna Beach, Peurto Rico, etc. It was nice to look at these pictures on such a gloomy day outside. I put a caption for each photo and included atleast 3 tags for each one. Putting the slideshow in my website was not as difficult as I expected--you just go to Insert and click Picasa Slideshow and voila!

I will use photos in my classroom a lot. I think it's important for children to have a lot of visual images to look at when they are learning. If we are talking about another country, they need to see the geography and the way the people live there. If they see it, they will be able to remember it better and will feel more connected.

Resource Wiki

I thoroughly enjoyed making the Resource Wiki. I can honestly say I was very lucky because all of the team members in the Elementary Resource Wiki worked hard and diligently to help create it and it looks amazing! I will now be able to have a place I can go to if I want to find online resources for certain subjects, or if I need to find a good teacher website. If I want my students to play a game that will help them learn, I can go to the Games page on the wiki to find some great websites. I really like WebQuests and so having many to choose from and look at will be helpful in my classroom.

I think it's interesting to see what the girls in my Resource Wiki thought about websites without having to meet up with them. Even though I have only met a few of them, I feel like I know everyone just through the wiki. I hope the sources I posted can help the other students in TPTE with their learning. I enjoyed this group project because everyone worked hard and wanted to help each other.

I can see myself using a Resource Wiki in my classroom one day, especially for a group research project. Students can post websites and sources on the wiki for others to look at outside of school without having to take time from the class period to do the research. Students won't have to meet as a group as often because they can discuss through the wiki. I can keep track of their progress by looking at their wiki, as well as be able to tell who has done a lot of work and who needs to bring more to the table.

I am glad we got to learn about Resource Wikis because I know I will use them in my classroom one day.

Wiki Evaluation

I found a wiki made by a 3rd grade teacher for her class, titled "Melville Grade 3 Mpolselli." The point of this wiki is to have a central meeting place throughout the year for the students and parents. Parents are able to keep up with what is happening in the classroom. The teacher, Mrs. Polselli posts each unit of study with the curriculum and includes resources and websites so parents can learn more. For example, the students will be reading "The Chalk Box Kid" by Clyde Robert Bulla and Mrs. Polselli added a link that has activities related to this book that parents and students can do at home. This way, the parents are involved and know what is going on.

Something I thought was interesting was that this teacher rewards students with a homework pass if they visit any WebQuest or link through her website and play the games or activities provided there. They can either print out the activity and turn it in or have parents write a note or email her saying the student did this. This is a great incentive for students to become familiar with using online tools!

One of the projects assigned is for the students to make their own book using 3 resources. The librarian helps the students make the pages of their books on the computer. Mrs. Polselli included these on the wiki and I think this is a good way to showcase student work.

On the left side of the wiki she has an assignments tab where students can go to see what is due for the week. She also puts up study guides for tests. My favorite part of the wiki is the student spotlight tab where each student picks their favorite website for a subject and posts it here. One student, Adam, included a math websites titled "Math Magicians." This gives students the freedom to search the web for websites they enjoy and to share it with their classmates. This is a great idea and I would like to use this in my classroom one day.

I really enjoyed searching for other wikis on the internet. This helped me see how teachers use them in the classroom and I was able to find ideas I can use in my classroom one day.

Inquiry Based Activity

This assignment was a little harder than I expected. I chose to do an activity for 4th grade involving the Water Cycle. The students could work in pairs. After looking at countless websites for videos and games, I was able to choose a video from Scholastic that explained the Water Cycle very well. I thought the video would be interesting and engaging for 4th graders because it involved 2 boys talking about their soccer game being rained out. I also found a game the students could do that would help them become familiar with the vocabulary words such as precipitation and evaporation.

I provided a website for the students to go to after they watch the video and play the game. I created questions based on this website. I used multiple choice and had one fill in the blank. This part was harder than I thought it would be. I had to read information about the water cycle and then formulate questions that the students could answer. It is more time-involved than I expected. I also included an extra-credit opportunity in which students have to draw the water cycle and label the parts.

Something I had difficulty with was finding a website that was the reading level of a 4th grader. Since it's been awhile since I have been in 4th grade, it was hard to remember what 4th graders are capable of. I am observing a 4th grade classroom right now, so I was able to think about these students and try to imagine if they could complete the worksheet. I didn't want the assignment to be too difficult, but I also didn't want it to be super easy because the students would get bored.

Overall, I liked creating an Inquiry Based Activity and plan on using them in my classroom one day.

WebQuests

I was unfamiliar with WebQuests before we began the lesson and so far I think they are my favorite tool. They are ways for a teacher to create and organize a group project for the class and allows access to the students. Included are the Introduction, which talks about the overview of the assignment. The Task lets the students know what they will be doing, what materials will be involved, and what the groups entail. The Process lists the steps the students need to take to reach the desired outcome. An Evaluation lets the students know how they will be graded and on what. The evaluation is pretty much a rubric. It shows how many points each aspect of the assignment is worth. The Conclusion explains what the final product is and in my opinion, is a "happy" page because the project is finished! The Credits are for the teacher to show what people contributed and other websites he/she used. The Teacher page is all about the teacher.

Using these steps, the WebQuest can be organized and easy to read. However, in class we looked at some WebQuests that were not up to par (like this one). As a teacher, I need to make sure there are no dead links on my WebQuest. I also need to include pictures and make it easy to read for my students or they may miss something important. Group work is one of the most essential aspects of a WebQuest, and if the assignment would be better done individually, then a WebQuest isn't necessary. The project needs to be time-efficient; if it is a waste of time then students will not be interested and I will be frustrated with time lost. It also needs to promote critical thinking. Students should have to spend some time thinking and coming up with ideas. This WebQuest includes all of these elements.

Most of all, the WebQuest needs to be engaging. Students should want to participate in it and be involved. It teaches them how to follow directions, how to work collaboratively, and how to look at a rubric and know what is expected.

I will definitely be using WebQuests in my classroom one day.

Website Evaluation

Through this activity, I was able to meet the learning objectives of evaluating a website. It was a thorough process and it made me realize what items I need to be on the lookout for when I want to use a website in my class. Things like reliability of the author and bias of information are very important. If the author does not know a lot about a subject or if he posts false statements, I shouldn't bring his/her website into my class lesson.

I didn't realize how many steps there were when evaluating a website. There are 7 areas that should be obvious when it comes to educational websites: reliability of the author, reliability of the publishing body, bias of information, accuracy of information, currency of information, design of interface, and accessibility. Since I am familiar with what each of these means, I know what to look for when evaluating a website.

This process can be somewhat tedious but it is something that should never be undermined. Anyone can create a website and post information, but as teachers, we must be aware of this. We should make sure that the websites we show in class can be accessible to those with disabilities. Websites can enhance the learning experience and can assist students in their acquisition of knowledge.

Overall, I thought this was a great activity and I really learned a lot. I look forward to sharing my website evaluation with others and receiving recommendations on websites to use one day when I am a teacher.

Wikis

I have really enjoyed learning about Wikis so far. I never realized how easy they are to use and how accessible they are. We watched a video in class that explained what they are, how to use them, and reasons one might use them. In the video, some friends were planning a camping trip and needed to figure out who would bring what supplies. Each friend would edit the page and submit what items they had. It showed me how Wikis can make something like planning a camping trip very organized.

Anyone with internet access can view and change items on a Wiki page. The best thing about a Wiki is that anyone can get on it at anytime and edit. You can add pictures, videos, and sounds to your page. It is a great way to communicate when dealing with group projects.

In class, we created a Wiki page and each of us linked our own page to the home page. On our pages, we included a picture of ourselves and gave some information about who we are and why we want to teach. We learned how to wrap the text around the picture. This was a great way to feel like a community and to get to know each other. After this assignment, I felt confident in my knowledge about Wikis.

I think they would be a great addition to a classroom, for instance if you are planning a field trip and need parents to volunteer to help. If you are planning a party in the classroom for a holiday and you need parents to contribute, you could create a Wiki and post the link on the classroom website. This way, whenever parents get a chance, they can go on there and write what they can bring.

Depending on the grade I teach, Wikis would be useful when assigning group projects. I can teach my students how to use them and how they can sign on during their own free time to comment on their project. Wikis would also be useful when collaborating with other teachers teaching the same grade level. If we are working on a lesson plan, we can create a Wiki and get feedback from one another without having to schedule a time in our busy day to meet.

The possibilities with Wikis are endless. I have gained an appreciation for them and plan to use them in the future quite a bit!

Introduction/Expectations for the Course

The reason I have this blog is to post my thoughts as I learn ways to use technology in TPTE 486. Currently, I am a senior and will begin my Graduate courses this Summer, as well as begin my Internship this Fall in Roane County. The area I have been admitted to is Elementary, K-6. I am so excited to be teaching children one day and cannot wait to get started.

I am currently in Elementary Education 351, which is my field experience so I am in a school once a week observing. Obviously, technology is everywhere in the school. Each classroom has Macs in the back of the classroom where they practice math problems and take reading tests. The teacher uses a Smartboard for almost every lesson. The school website is very well designed, as well as each classroom website. Just from being in the school for a few hours, it is easy to see how important it is that I understand how to use technology to the best of my ability. I have grown up with computers, however there is much more I can learn.

I have many expectations for this course. Although I was a bit nervous about taking TPTE 486 because I'm not the best with computers, I am so glad it is required. You cannot expect to become a successful teacher without knowing how to create Wikis, blogs, podcasts, etc. I plan on being confident in my knowledge of technology once this course if finished.

I expect to know ways I can incorporate technology into my classroom without it being a distraction. I want to know how to use a Smartboard and how to create videos for my students. Depending on the age I teach, I would like to be able to incorporate a Wiki page and have my students contribute to it. The classroom website will be very important, especially for parents, so I want to have a professional but creative website with a blog that parents can comment on.

By the end of this course, I know I will have the tools I need to have a successful experience with technology in my classroom. It will take a lot of work on my part and commitment, but I am willing to do the work and am excited to learn more.