Poetry Introduction

Using Twitter

Using Twitter has taught me that you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. There are so many professionals out there with so many good ideas. Collaborating with these individuals, sharing ideas and experiences is a much better option!
Twitter made absolutely no sense to me in the beginning. I couldn’t find my way around very easily, I didn’t understand the hashtag or how to communicate with everyone. I not only learned to navigate through Twitter, but also how to use it to my advantage! There is so much great information out there for teachers to use!

The person on Twitter that I enjoyed following most was, Eric Langhorst. He was interesting to me because he is a history buff. He constantly added links with great history websites! I always wanted to take extra time to look at the information that he provided his followers! I’ve paid a lot of attention to his tweets.

I do plan to continue to use Twitter professionally. I think that it is a great reminder of all that is out there to move forward with in education. I want the constant reminder that there is more out there for me to introduce to my students. I want to make sure that I give my students the best opportunity that I can and using Twitter can help me to make sure that I do that.

"Free Technology for Teachers"

I discovered so many forms of free technology on this blog! One link that I'm excited to explore further is, "77 Web Resources for Teachers to Try This Summer." The helpful links on this website are endless, no matter what subject you are looking to add to!
I think it's great that there is a way to share so many free resources with teachers! With all of these resources and ideas, there is more and more that we are able to do each day to help student learning develop!
The resource that I've found to be most useful are the links that are available on this website. It gives great ideas that I can incorporate into my daily class. I even found "15 TED Talks for teachers to watch" on this website. TED Talks first caught my eye when we listened to and reflected on podcasts.
I do think it is possible for me to make a blog that would be a great resource for my students. The problem at this time is the lack of time that I am able to find to start a functional blog for my classroom. I think that when I get an opportunity to spend more time on updating the website and making it functional, it will be a great addition to my classroom!

VOICE THREAD ON PERSONAL GROWTH IN 552

http://voicethread.com/share/2907151/

Screen Cast

Animoto Video on Collaboration!

Animoto is a great tool to use in the classroom! It allows the teacher an easy way to introduce a topic to their class! I find it to be an extremely engaging tool! I thought it would be difficult to use, but it was fairly self explanatory! I look forward to creating Animoto videos in the future to introduce topics to my class!

Podcasting

I have subscribed to a few podcasts and have enjoyed listening to them. I have subscribed to “The Story Home Children’s Audio Stories”, “Math Dude”, Stuff You Missed in History Class”, “Teaching with Smartboard” and TedTalks.”

I’ve found them all to be interesting and would really like to have the ability to listen to them in my car. I was really interested in a Ted Talk that was based on introverts and extroverts. The speaker said that most situations anymore are designed mainly for extroverts, rather than introverts.

I am an extrovert and so I did find some of these comments to be offensive because she talked a lot about how introverts are typically smarter, get better grades, are more creative. Although some of this seemed offensive to hear, I do think it is good for me to hear that there needs to be more of a balance.

As a teacher, I set up my classroom in pods or groups. I encourage teamwork and create collaborative activities for my students to complete together. I think that it is important for students to be able to work with/get along with peers. They won’t only work others in school, they will grow up and they will need to know how to work with others. This speaker challenged teachers for teaching to the extrovert and I realized that I am the teacher that teaches to extroverts. Although it did get me thinking about how maybe I need to pay more attention to what an introverts learning needs may be, but I do still think it’s important to teach students how to work together and interact with one another.

I think that these podcasts will offer a lot of advice and insight.

Digital Storytelling

I made this video in reflection of an article written by Jennifer New. The article is called, "How to Use Digital Storytelling in Your Classroom"

Reflection:

I thought this was a great article for someone who is interested in beginning implementation of digital storytelling into their classroom. It offered great advice to follow throughout the introduction process. It was also a great reminder of what students are really capable of when we allow them to use tools like digital storytelling. They can produce information in an interesting and professional way.

I agree with what the author of this article presented. I love what it extended to other teachers. This article could definitely have an impact on my classroom! I want my students to be able express themselves in creative ways and challenge themselves with new tools! I can't wait to introduce new projects to them!

One part that this article mentioned was to not count on things working out the first time. It did include a resource that I wanted to share with you- “Creative Cow” it said that it was a resource you can go to in order to find answers quickly. That’s the most frustrating part of technology, when things don’t work out and you need to find an answer but don’t know how. I appreciated that they included this resource for their readers.

Curriculum Project

Here is a link the curriculum project I am in the process of creating:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zUGCpAzbQUr5cjr48nBv29YmxUT4Wa0UUq5BgRT1uOg/edit?hl=en_US

Using Blogging in the Classroom

After the interactions I've had with blogging, I think it would be a great addition to my classroom! I incorporate the daily 5 into my classroom. I have some students who don't particularly enjoy write to self. I think that Blogging may be the answer for some of these students. I have 3 computers and 24 kids so I am going to need to figure out how to make this fair for everyone. I do think it would be a positive addition though! I think it would be a great way for my students to communicate with me on certain topics, and also not only read other students responses, but possibly even respond to them. I think this would provide a great challenge to students, and engage them in their writing!

50 States and Capitals

Introduction

My name is Shawna Maher and I am currently a 4th grade Teacher in Omaha, NE. I taught 1st grade for my first two years, and am enjoying seeing learners in a whole different light. I have learned a lot through this transition, and am sure it will continue!

The purpose for this blog is to explore/learn more about technology and utilizing it to the fullest in my classroom. I am taking a course through my master's program that is all about using the internet. I feel that even though I feel like I have a good grip on using the internet, there is most-likely a whole world of possibilities out there that I am completely unaware of!

I look forward to extending my knowledge and the benefits that it will have on the students in my classroom!

Overall Impact

I came into this class, having absolutely no idea how much I would learn and take with me at the end of four weeks! I knew that it would be a course that offered valuable information, but I couldn't have predicted how much I have learned in this short period of time! I have gained, not only the opportunity to see all that is available to me, but also the knowledge of making sure that students understand what I am teaching them! I have been introduced to several technologies that I had never even heard of, that would now be on a wishlist for having in my own classroom!
I am so excited to take everything that I learned in this four weeks, and apply it to the rest of my life!

Using ipods in the classroom

I have always thought that ipods and podcasts were a little on the side of intimidating.  After using the ipods and watching various podcasts today, I have really opened my eyes to the different uses for ipods in the classroom.

First, I think that having students record their voices as they read is a great idea!  The students can then listen to themselves, make any necessary connections, and re-read to practice their fluency.  

I also think that watching podcasts which are already available can be beneficial to students.  These could be great for students who struggle with a particular phonics problem.  The student can watch a podcast on that particular phonics instruction and that is a building block to helping that student become a more confident and fluent reader.

They would be great for literacy centers for students!  The students could record their voices and then listen, they could also watch podcasts and then complete assigned activities.

For upper-grades, I also thought that a great use of ipods would be to show half of the class content on a topic from one point of view, and the other class content from another point of view.  This would be a great set-up for a class debate/discussion.

In conclusion, numerous possibilities could come from using ipods and podcasts in a classroom.

TPACK Lesson

Creating a TPACK lesson and paying clear attention to all aspects was a great way to look at creating a lesson.  I paid extra close attention to all of the different possibilities that could be used.  I found myself wanting to add more constantly.  My final product was absolutely loaded and would take longer to present than one day.  I really feel like there were several lessons that were brought into that one particular lesson though.  

One problem that I did have was that I found myself saying that I would need at least one volunteer for some parts of my lesson.  With first graders, I just don't want to get to the point where there are multiple groups of students that are having difficulty using the technology and have to wait on me to get to all of them.  The way to prevent this, I know is to make sure that students have a good understanding of the use of all materials before using them.  

I do know, that I will definitely use TPACK lessons when I am teaching my own class!

Blogging in my own classroom

Being a first grade teacher, I didn't know about blogging in my classroom at first.  I have decided that there are various options that I do have, though.  

The main idea that I have thought about is having a classroom blog.  I would use this blog to keep parents informed about what is going on in the classroom.  A blog would allow this information to be both easily accessible and updated conveniently.  I have also contemplated holding a blog about certain units that we cover in the classroom.  We would brainstorm as a class then add the ideas to the blog/view the blog together.  These units may include specific quotes from students and what they learned, their views on the lessons/topics, etc. 

Blogging in the classroom is a great way to interact with your students, encourage higher-order thinking, and also help them to feel more comfortable with technology!

Resource Article #2 (Using Digital Images to Engage Young Learners)

An article that I found interesting was one titled, Using Digital Images to Engage Young Learners. The author mentioned," images stimulate curiosity and provide rich opportunities for language and literacy." This is a statement that I really agreed with! Children are curious about everything that is going on around them and digital images are a great way to capture this!
Giving students open-ended tasks that allow them to make their own choices help them to feel challenged but also shows them they are capable of succeeding!
The article focused a lot on the fact that digital images support language development, which is a major focus in the early elementary grades. Using a combination of technology options such as their own digital images, software such as Kid Pix, and their own voice recordings or text; students are given a variety of options for telling their stories.
Making class books is something that was covered in the article, and we also discussed in this course. These are such a wonderful way for students to use a variation of their skills! With class books, the students are also only in charge of one page and so they are able to put their creativity and skills to use and really make their small portion come to life! These books can also be saved and shown on a slide show as well as sent home at the end of the year! The use of technology also offers some students who wouldn't be able to participate normally, a chance to make something with the rest of their class!
Using digital images is allowing students to look at these pictures in a variety of ways and see the different types of meaning that may come from them. They are allowed to capture different perspectives they may not have seen. Walking tours where students are asked to capture images on a walk is a great way for students to show their creativity! They can take the images they took and put them into a slide show. It doesn't stop there, though! They can record their voices in the program and describe what they saw/really let their perspective be known. Students will then be allowed to revisit this experience and also share it with their parents/families! They are also allowed to revise/edit their material as they wish, which is a great option!
After reading this article, and taking this class, I am extremely excited about using digital images in my own classroom, even though I used to be a little bit nervous about using technology in an early elementary position. I have really opened my eyes to the fact that, using digital images to engage your learners is truly an authentic way to allow your students to experience story telling in a meaningful way!

Learning & Leading with Technology: Using Digital Images to Engage Young Learners. (2004) ISTE.http://www.shstech.org/SCOP/ using%20digital %20images%20to%20 engage% 20young %20learners.pdf

Digital Storytelling

I will admit, digital storytelling, using imovie is not my favorite project. I always seem to struggle in atleast one area and somehow allow myself to get frustrated. I do however need to say that this time using imovie was a much better experience than the last time I tried it. Once everything is put together, it really does turn out to be a brilliant way to tell a story. Children would absolutely love to be able to put their voice and music to pictures or video. Especially when you compare it to writing their story on a blank sheet of paper and drawing a picture to illustrate it. It is a challenge, and everytime you think you might be finished, you find another feature that will add more to your video.
Yesterday I attempted to get into garageband and create my own music for my video. I didn't know how to use the program properly and so it was only about 1 min. before I decided that music was overrated and my movie didn't necessarily need it! Today after being taught how to properly use the program, I was so excited to use it! I went from thinking that I completely had to make my own music from scratch (which I am really not capable of doing), to realizing that there were several selections of music to choose from! I'm very excited to see some of my classmate's videos when they are finished! I think there are a lot of great stories that I am excited to hear/see!

Keyboarding

When I think of keyboarding, I mainly remember class being long, but I also remember being happy to know how to type.  Once I could type, it seemed like my world opened up.  I was able to talk to my friends on AIM, e-mail, and type homework projects rather than write them out.  

As long as a school has access to several computers, I do think it's a great thing for a teacher to work on keyboarding.  I do, however understand that there is not a lot of extra time in the day to teach a keyboarding lesson.  I feel that keyboarding lessons would need to come in the initial part of the school year, ideally.  Once the students know the basic skills they need, they will just be allowed time for practice throughout the year.  One of the literacy centers could be made and so that students are able to practice their typing skills.  Aside from this, students can also be encouraged to  practice their keyboarding skills at home.  I have never thought about teaching my students their keyboarding skills at a young age, but it is a life skill that they are going to need to learn.  The earlier, the better.

"Wandering Willie"

I had no idea the possibilites that Power Point offers. I have always used power point for class presentations, but I didn't know the extent of what it could be used for! In the past couple of days, I have seen how it can make a book come to life with pictures, words, and audio, it has also served as the software we used to make several class books. Just yesterday we saw how it could become an interactive game! We were given several clues and forced to problem solve in order to solve particular problems. I was put in the position where I felt completely like an elementary student again, but it was exciting! I got somewhat frustrated when I made a mistake or couldn't find the information that I needed. At the same time, I was excited and motivated the entire time! It was great to be reminded how much fun you can make lessons, but still allow your students to learn new information while problem solving!