Final Reflection

  

  As a final reflection for this course, I created a Voki.  I did not have a chance to create a Voki this semester but was very interested in giving it a try after viewing some of my classmates. 

Voki

     Entering this class, I had a background with many of the tools this course offered.  Even though I had a background, I did not have much time to spend with the tools in the classroom due to the state requirements that need to be met.  This course allowed me to take a set back and seek creative ways that technology can be incorporated while sticking to the requirements.  I feel I needed a "refresher" on many of the tools, like StoryBird, in order to ensure proper use with my students.  I have also found myself eager to incorporate more activities within my teaching.  My students absolutely loved completing the VoiceThread project and are eager for another.  I have even widen my professional learning community in this course, where I have been able to add many professionals to my Twitter account!

Literacy Project

Literacy Project

 

I created a VoiceThread with my first grade students.  For this VoiceThread students had to research information an animals of choice to support a science unit recently completed.  While researching they were asked to explore Internet sites and at least one informational text.  As series of questions were offered to formulate and organize the information they discovered.  From the information, the students needed to present what they learned being sure to highlight key words and concepts from their literature and science studies. Then students commented on each others projects!  Follow the link and let me know what you think!

Another Digital Story

Below is a link to another digital story I did with Kindergarten students.  We completed an author's study on Eric Carle and then the students choose their favorite book of his to share.  Students worked in pairs for this project.  My main goal was to work on reading comprehension and fluency.  Let me know what you think!
Eric Carle

Pre-K Digital Storytelling Book Example

I really enjoyed this resource.  The students were some cute!  It is great to see, as a first grade teacher, that Preschool teachers are working on sight words.  You can tell that a lot of time was put into this as the students are singing fluently and know how to spell Kindergarten words along with some popular songs.  It was very creative of this teacher to use something most Preschool know, the songs, to teach students the words!  Wonderful resource that I will share with the Preschool Coordinator in my building.  

Google Reader

I love using Google Reader! I have been using Google Reader for two years now and have about 40 subscriptions that I follow.  I view my reader on a daily basis like a newspaper.  I log-on everyone morning to see what is happening, what others are posting.  This is an easy access to other's blogs and posting.  I follow many other blogs.  Below is a list of some blogs I follow.  My recommendations are in bold.  


BLOGCEA
Educdemic
Edutopia RSS
entertainment zone
Free Technology for Teachers
iLearn Technology
Larry Felazzo's Websites of the day
LD OnLine Daily News
RSD6 Elementary Technology Showcase
Saint Joseph College Campus News and Current Events
sites4primary.com
Stump The Teacher
Teacher Reboot Camp
Teaching 2 and 3 year olds
Dairy of a First Grade Teacher
Kindergarten Hoppenings
Ladybug's Teacher Files
RSD6 Math Blog
Tales From a K-1 Classroom
The First Grade Parade

Weebly

I was not aware of Weebly before this course and I am disappointed that I missed the class discussion on this tool.      Since I missed the class, I created a log-in on the website and began exploring examples of websites and the benefits.  Our school offers us websites for us to much like this site offers, however, I found the Weebly site easier to use as it is user friendly and easy to assess for students.  This would be another great place to post information to parents and offer students a place to access work they missed or games and activities they enjoy using in the classroom.  I am hoping to create my own Weebly in the near future to replace my current website.  

Skyping with Mike G. and Students

When skyping with Mike and his students it was interesting to see how important collaboration is.   I have not done much skyping prior to this course so being about to talk with five different people through this site was amazing to me but very educational.  I was great to hear from high school students, getting ready for college, on how they use technology in their lives including the restrictions, boundaries, and problems they are facing in this 21st century world.  This made me wish that I had the same opportunities when I was in high school because I think if I did, I would have a deeper grasp on them now and have more experience under my belt to share with my own students.

Literacy Project

My literacy project is underway and almost complete.  I have one student left to record and then I will have it up to share.  I brought together a Science unit and Literacy unit through this project.  Students were working on animal research projects, where they chose an animal, conducted research by exploring the internet and reading books, and then shared their learning though a VoiceThread.  I focused on reading skills, fluency when recording and comprehension when reading research and in science focused on animal habitats and adaptions, just to name a few.  I have used VoiceThread before and struggled a little with getting my students to speak clearly but I am hoping this time, since they have grown as reader and in their vocabulary, they will be able to present their information successfully.

Digital Story Project

 This digital story fits into my district first grade reading curriculum where we study nonfiction stories for content and exploration of their difference from fiction stories.  This story also fits well in our non-fiction writing unit where students explore, read, and then write their own non-fiction books on a topic of their choice.  

      I have shown my students this story when beginning and have asked my students input along the way to completion.  I will use this project numerous time to enhance student learning of nonfiction books.  This enhances the curriculum because rather than always having students read nonfiction books from the classroom or school library I now have a digital story to share.  I am also hoping that students will use and view this not only in whole group setting to enhance my reading and writing lessons but also during center time when in the i-pad center exploring and reading digital books.   I will also use this to spark students interest to creating their own digital story rather than 'paper' copy of their story for their nonfiction writing piece.  I would like to use this as a guide to exploring other digital story tools, not only in writing but all content areas, to spark student interest on trying some on their own.  My hope is that students will take the initiative to completing one on their own, of course with my guidance!  

Dalmatians

Diigo

I have been using my Diigo account a lot.  I am exploring resources at home for my classroom and putting the links up on Diigo and then going back and accessing them easily at school!  I have found this very useful reversed as well, I find resources at school that I want to revisit later and then access it at home later to spend more time exploring.
Here is a link to my Diigo account. Enjoy!

Diigo- R.Field

VoiceThread

While exploring VoiceThread for an upcoming Science project with my first graders, I came across many ideas on how to use VoiceThread to display the final product of our Animal projects.  Below are a few samples that I have starting showing my students as examples to how this project can be used.  My students are eager to begin.  They are in the process of writing their scripts and some have begun creating their pictures to do with their work.  Let me know what you think of these examples and which one you think would work best with first graders.  There are many great ideas that I am having a hard time deciding which format to use.

 Animal ABC's

Animal Research Projects

Animals

Animal Facts

Google Reader

I have been using Google Reader for over a year now and find it very helpful in reading rather than browsing through multiple websites.  I check my reader every morning like I would read the newspaper.  This is a great way for me to know what is happening in the Education world and hear what is happening in other classrooms.  Currently I am subscribed to over 40 blogs.  Most of the blogs that I am subscribed to are other teachers who teach at the primary level, technology specialists, like Stump the Teacher, and professional organizations.   I completely agree with Krysta's blog post where she stressed how useful the tools was and how it is the central point to checking everyone's blog posts as they are posted rather than looking through their whole blog.  Krysta, I am glad you are enjoying using Google Reader!  Once you start you will be hooked!
Krysta's Blog

Wiki Project and Digital Storytelling

    I am really enjoying this Wiki Project.  It is a wonderful way to collaborate with each other.  I have learned many new things from all of the tabs that could be used in my classroom regularly.  I really enjoy the tab where we can post our digital story projects and classmates can view and offer comments or suggestions.  The comments that I have received so far have been very helpful as I have taken them into consideration while making adjustments to my project.  I also like the tab that was created where we offer our topic five websites off of our Diigo.  That was a great idea.  I have found many more sites that I enjoy and have added to my own Diigo account to use.

    Using the Wiki project I have used recommendations on my Digital Story to make improvements to my project.  I have added more sentences to my story and took Lisa's suggestion of adding more about how to care for a pet dog to my piece.  Originally, I found myself being focused and having a one-track mind on how I want my project to look now I think I have opened up and am beginning to explore more options to make my story better.  I used a wonderful resource- Amalia on Purpose-Storytelling to help organize my ideas and further plan my project.  This also gave me a clearer understanding of what digital storytelling entails and how to move forward.  I feel like this has given me more ideas and guidance.  

Diigo

Her is a link to my Diigo site.  I just figured out last week how to add the bookmarks without adding the Diigo tab to my tool bar so it is a working progress.  I have been trying to add at least on bookmark a day.  I have some many bookmarks on my personal computer and then on my work computer so I am working to put them all into Diigo so that I can access them from both places!  What sites do you find most useful?

Diigo-RField

Digital Storytelling Resources

As I was planning my digital storytelling project format I came across a great resource on the Free Technology for Teachers blog.  Check it out!  There are some great resources to use and people to research for further help for this project!


 Free Technology for Teachers blog about Digital Storytelling

Week 6- Student Digital Stories

I watched Shapes Project student digital story.  This was a really cute video that I think woul dcathc the attention of the young children.  I like how it used real pictures and she changed her voice to match characters.  I think this really made it more interesting and catered to the young children.  The other stories were great as well but this was once that stuck in my head.  In the classroom, this could be used in a Preschool or Kindergarten to teach students their shapes but it can also be used across the board with students in math intervention that still need shape reinforcement. 

Week 6- Skype with Alan November

I really enjoyed the Skype time last week with Mr. November.  It really put into perspective the ideas and examples that are explained in his book.  I found it very useful the way he presented information as it showed his desire to help technology continue to grow and conquer some of the challenges that are getting in the way, administrators.  I particularly liked when we said we as the new generation to technology with the fresh ideas need to present and teach those who are resistant to the change.  At first I thought that would be impossible but after thought I think if approached appropriately our ideas can be expressed.  It may not work but I think we all have the new tools that we need to share to express the benefits to learning that they each have.  I think of it as "I am going to teach my administrator, ya right" but really they need to understand the tools and the true benefits to the students since this is 21st century learning.  It is overcoming the fear and going working to help this move further and expand!

I also liked the piece on parent communication.  I think it is very important to get parents involved and the resources and tools he offered to make this happen were great!  Megan also talked about this on her blog.  Find the link below where Megan talks about these concepts as well. 
Megan's blog

Here is also a great link I found about education and parent involvement.

   "In this complex world, it takes more than a good school to educate children. And it takes more than a good home. It takes these two major educational institutions working together."
                                        - Dorothy Rich, Author of Megaskills.

Week 6- GoAnimate

This week I also explored GoAnimate.  This tool was different from Animoto.  I found it more difficult to navigate and create as it required dialog for each character to tell a story.  Here is a link to the video I explored with.  I worked on this with my younger cousin who is 13.  She found it fun and thought it would be important to create a video on the subject of making friends and what good friends do.  I think there is a strong message in this story that can be taught to any grade level.  Enjoy!

New Friends

Week 6- Animoto Video

For my Animoto project I decided to take a poem titled Easy Seasons created by Alan Benjamin and add music and pictures to aid in my instruction of not only the season (science curriculum) but also our up coming writing unit on poems.  I would use this poem to teach poetry as well as the seasons.  I think this tool adds a great touch to the poem and makes it more meaningful and fun for the students.   This tool will enhance literacy as students learn the components of a poem by reading.  Phonics can also be taught through this poem.   I hope you enjoy!

Easy Seasons

Week 5- Wiki

While exploring Wiki's this week I came across a great wiki created by a first/second grade teacher, Kathy Collins.  Collins is a teacher in Canada who does truly amazing things with technology in her classroom.  I follow her website and feed which offers great examples and tools for classroom use.  The wiki that I discovered was titled 1000 Names.  On this wiki she was teaching her students about the number 1000 and what it would look like so she asked views to type their name in the cells provided.  Her goal was to get 1000 names for her students as it connected to her math curriculum.  I think this was a great way for collaboration and the digital community piece.   This blog has 1778 names!  Follow the link to see for yourself!

1000 Names- Kathy Collins