WebQuest

WebQuest is one of the funnest and most beneficial teaching tools I have come across in my career. Learning how to make an assignment and relate that criteria to Driver's Education was an amazing experience. The students enjoyed the experience and to my surprise I had a lot of fun navigating the lesson for the class. The presentations were very informative and persuasive. Seeing my students have fun in the classroom has really changed my outlook on teaching. It gives the students a break from all the pressures that come with testing in the classrooms.

Jing!!

 Jing is a program created to copy and record what the user of a computer is doing on the screen. I believe that this program could be very beneficial for educational programs. I am a driver's education teacher in Greeneville, TN and I feel that I could use this program to give virtual quizzes using Google Maps. I could do this by using Jing while showing random roads and use the microphone to ask the questions. Jing could also be very useful in student presentations. This program could be very beneficial in classrooms.

Remind.Com

Remind.Com is a web/Phone application that I have used since frequently over the course of this year. Remind is a messaging service that connects you and your students. All you do is make a free account at Remind.Com, Set up your different classes, and invite/have students/parents to join your class. Students and parents can sign-up via email, text, or through the phone App. When you log on you can send class wide messages out to specific classes. Throughout the year I have used remind to alert students and parents of homework, upcoming tests/projects, and of important events like open house. Everything sent and received through remind is logged and can reports can be accessed anytime, so you have peace of mind knowing someone can't make any false claims against you. Also in account settings you can turn off "messaging back" meaning you can only send out messages to classes as a whole and you can't message individuals and they cant message you.

TeacherPayTeacher.com

One online resource that I have used several times over the course of this year was TeacherPayTeacher.com. On this website you can find thousands of resources to download, all of which are searchable and broken down into categories. For example, I didn't like how my textbooks covered the civil war and didn't have time to create new sources myself. I found an entire two week unit, which was amazing by the way, for around ten dollars. Teacher pay Teacher is centered around purchasing resources, but it also includes lots of free resources as well. However, not everything on TeacherPayTeacher is right for you. Resources that work well for one teacher may be totally wrong for another. So it is important to request samples of work if you find yourself wanting to buy something but not sure if it would work.

Lexia Core 5

Lexia Core 5 is a school-wide reading resource. Each student in the school works at their own pace to complete the different levels. Students have a set amount of time that they are expected to complete each week. There are ample opportunities for students to complete their goal and it can also be accessed from home. Most students love to login to Lexia because it has a kid friendly interface that resembles a game. Teachers also like Lexia because it allows them to see areas that students could be struggling with in each level. Then, the teacher can use the provided resources to teach a mini-lesson to try and help the student to better understand the skill. I have seen a great amount of growth from students who use the program on a regular basis.

Class Dojo

One technological resource that I use in my first grade classroom is Class Dojo. It is a great way for parents to communicate with their students teacher about any and all questions that they may have. It is a behavior management site that allows the teacher to give positive points to reinforce anticipated behaviors and take points away for negative behaviors. I use it as a weekly reward system. Once you reach 10 points during the week you can get in the treat box. Students really enjoy customizing their monster and take pride in the amount of points that they receive each week.

Lexia

Lexia Core 5 is a reading resource that our school implements on a daily basis. This program allows students to take a diagnostic test to determine where they should begin their lessons. Once they have taken this test they cannot continue on to a lesson until the current lesson is completed. If the student seems to be having difficulty with a particular skill, it will teach them a mini-lesson over that skill. We use this program for our RTI students as well as all classroom students.

Dreambox

Our schools recently purchased Dreambox to use as a supplement in our classrooms.  It has been a valuable asset because provides students with material that is based on their current level of instruction. This allows for differentiation with minimal effort from the teacher.  I use it as tool for students who complete assignments early and for those that need more of a challenge than our current content.  Dreambox allows the teacher to print reports that show level, usage, and lessons completed. I use these reports to provide rewards and incentives to students who make Dreambox a weekly habit in their curriculum diet.

Teacher Tube

A resource that I like to use in my classroom is teacher tube. This is very similar to YouTube minus the ads that popup unexpectedly. I use these videos to sometimes introduce new topics or to review previously learned lessons. They are very kid friendly and my 3rd grade students really enjoy getting to see a visual of the concept that I am teaching. They also have some cute and catchy songs/videos that help students to better retain information. 

Study Jams

I like to use Study Jams from scholastic.com in my 3rd grade classroom. This website has many science and math videos over various topics. I hyperlink the videos and slideshows into my power points or just have them brought up on my computer. Each video contains a quiz that helps to assess student understanding and comprehension on the topic. They are a beneficial resource to use before a lesson and refer back to. My students enjoy them and they enhance student participation.

YouTube

I often show videos from YouTube to supplement learning in my history classes.  The students really enjoy the visual representations of what we are learning about.  I believe I'd like to have the students start posting videos too.  YouTube also has lessons other teachers and professors have posted from their classes.  I often reinforce my lessons with my students by having them view lessons similar to mine.  YouTube has tons of music posted.  I can let my students listen to music from other time periods in the USA or other music from around the world.

Edmodo

I really utilized Edmodo for the first time this year.  It is like Facebook for class.  I like it because we have a ton of snow days at our school (21 this year!) and I can post assignments to keep my students engaged.  It is also useful to ask questions on topics we are covering.  Edmodo also provides useful links for historical sites.  I will use this from now on.

Epic is an amazing online tool for both teachers and parents alike. It allows teachers to easily keep track of students reading interest, ability, as well as a place to log minutes spent reading. What I really love is that parents can download this app and have thousands of books at their fingertips while on the go for the kids to read. I know that for me time spent with my own children in the Drs office after school doesn't have to be wasted now. I am able to turn the iPad over to them and they select a book and read away.  I also like it's not something you have to be technologically "savvy" to use.

Google

Google has become a major player in the education business these days and a tool that I have fallen in love with. My start with Google began when a couple of my buddies had me create an account for google, in order to share a Google doc with me for a camping trip. From there the love affair began. I have fallen in love with the tools that google has at its disposal including a centralized place where I can access things like contacts, my calendar, documents, and even class assignments from virtually anywhere. Something that I just stumbled upon was Google Forms. This changed the way I gave all my assignments at the end of this school year. With forms I create an assignment or test and then pick from several options of how I want to send it to my students. It cuts down on paper for my school, and best of all no more lost assignments or "my dog at my homework" excuses. There is also a handy add called Flubaroo that will grade the assignment for you.

All the students will need is a Google account and some form of smartphone, tablet, or computer and they are set. For my classes I have each student in a classroom that I have created in my contacts and I send the assignment out one time to all of them. They then receive an email, complete the assignment, and with the push of a button it comes back to me. It will even create a Google Sheets Document to help me organize. Currently my school is considering going to Google Classrooms. I know very little about how that works but so far I have been very impressed with the technology through the Google platforms. I would recommend if any educator have access to use these types of programs to give it a shot. Everything runs out of drive and I just watched a couple of videos on Youtube to help me figure things out. Good luck!

Socrative

In my classroom one of the most useful technological tools is an app called Socrative. There are many different uses for Socrative but in my classroom I mainly use it for reviewing material and test taking. This app has really come a long way from when I started using it two years ago. The updates have vastly improved the user interface and fixed a lot of the bugs that at times made it unusable. Before one of my co-workers brought this app to my attention I was using whiteboards and dry erase markers for my students to answer questions. This was very inconvenient to say the least. I felt like we were spending more time looking for markers that worked than actually reviewing. With Socrative I can have my students work in pairs to answer multiple choice questions or short answer questions. It also worked very well to cut down on students cheating. No longer could you watch what someone wrote from across the room. 

To create a test or assignment there is an option to download an Excel file from the website that makes creating a test or worksheet a breeze. As students work you can see if they are getting questions right or wrong, how far they have progressed, and it also grades the assignment as you go. For me that last one is a huge plus. The best part is that Socrative is free. The one limitation that I have found with this app is that you cannot have multiple assignments going on at once. You must close out of the current assignment before opening a new one. The makers of Socrative have dealt with this though, sadly however it is not on the free version. This and many other features will be coming to a paid version very soon if it has not already.

There are many more things that Socrative does that I haven't explored yet but if you are looking for a fun easy app to help your students review or take tests, this could be the app for you!

Kahoot

Kahoot is a form of technology, I have used this in my classroom thanks to a few of the teachers in my school. I can make up my own questions and students can answer the questions on their phones. Then I can show students how many of them got each right or wrong. This is useful because it keeps students interested in class, and it gives students a sense of competition because you get more points if you answer the question faster than others.  It also gives immediate feedback for the classroom.

Youtube is a source of technology that is useful in the math classroom.  I can use different youtube videos to show students a lesson on how to perform a certain task. Sometimes this is helpful in case students don't understand what I am teaching. They are able to hear another a lesson containing the same task of the lesson I've had already taught and hopefully develop a better understanding.

QR Codes in Education

One of the latest technology crazes in Education is QR codes. One of the reasons that I love QR codes had to do with teaching Kindergarten students.  As I am sure you know, most often, my kindergartners do not come in reading and if they are it is usually in the very early stages.  QR codes essentially, do not require any reading! I can use many multiple free QR code generators on the web to create QR codes for my students.  It is very easy to teach the children to use the QR codes.  They simply need a qr reader on any tablet or device. There are also several different reasons why to use QR codes.  As you can imagine, it can be a nightmare to get 24 five year old students to type in a web address. Yikes! But they become quite efficient at opening the QR reader app and scanning a QR code.  I have used QR codes for many things like websites, links to podcasts, directions for a center or basically anything you can imagine or create!  I even use a QR code on the first day of school that allows parents to walk away from my classroom with all of my contact information that they will need for the year!  QR codes are an amazing tool no matter what grade you teach!

EPIC for Educators

One of the things that I have found for my classroom that I strongly recommend to educators and especially new teachers who may have a limited classroom library is Epic for Educators. This is an online classroom library with an app that provides digital reading logs that keep track of books and minutes read by each student. You can create 36 individualized profiles. You can also provide students with an option of adding audio narration with hundreds of read to me titles. There is a vast selection of nonfiction and fiction categories. EPIC for Educators is FREE! Educator accounts can be used on multiple computers, Chromebooks, iPads, or tablets. This is a fabulous way to foster a love for reading, even amoung previously reluctant readers.  Getepic.com

Interactive Unit Circle

https://www.mathsisfun.com/geometry/unit-circle.html

If you are a math teacher, you have to check out this website! This is a Interactive Unit Circle.  You move your cursor around the circle and it gives you the sin, cos, and tan values at each point. AMAZING!

Technology, Technology, and more Technology

There is no way for us to avoid using technology in the classroom in 2016! Whether we are tech savy or not, technology is here to stay.  Most of the students we have in High School these days have access to technology 24-7.  These students have cell phones and are browsing the internet all day long.  Then these students go home and play on a computer or a tablet at night.  Students are even googling the answers to their homework.  Most math worksheets are on the internet with all of the problems worked out.  Teachers have to recognize this and use it to his/her advantage.  We have to realize that when we assign homework, more than likely it is not being down independently.

We must use TECHNOLOGY!

I think it is a MUST that we use technology in the classroom. In today's society, technology basically runs the world. Lets face it, many of our students probably know more about technology than we as teachers do! It helps teachers stay up to date and makes the classroom fun and engaging. The first thing a student wants to do when they are finished with work, or even while you are lecturing, is get their cell phone out! If we use technology daily and make the lesson more engaging, they wouldn't worry about their cell phones. Or maybe you don't have a hand held device for everyone, well almost every student in your classroom has a cellphone, use it! There are many free apps that can be used! Recent research shows technology is both engaging and promotes higher academic achievement. Technology is the way to the future. This class has shown me even more ways of using technology in  and even out of the classroom. I look forward to trying new things using technology for the next school year!

Technology is so much FUN!!

I recently used a new program in my classroom called Nearpod. This is a great program to use during class/lecture. The students can follow along with you and then answer questions. I made questions using the DrawIt! option where the students could show their work on a math problem. You can also show videos and create quizzes! Very cool program and the kids love it! I actually used it for my Action Research project and for the short time I used it in my classroom, my Algebra test scores went up. It is very fun and engaging. It is free and can be downloaded on an Ipad or computer!

We All Scream KAHOOT!

        I have used many effective review games, but one has definitely went extremely well with my students. Kahoot is an online review game that lets students use their phones to answer review question. the website keeps track of points for when students answer correctly. Students can work on teams or individually. After every question it gives what places students are in based on how fast the were able to answer questions. It gives them instant feedback as to whether they answered the question correctly. I have noticed how students are always asking to play this game anytime we need to review. I used to play other review games along with Kahoot, but students would much rather do this than any of my other planned reviews. It will also give me feedback saying how many questions and which specific question each student missed. This is the reviewing of the future!!!

The Options are Limitless

               I am a new teacher and finding ways to incorporate technology in the classroom is always something that has interested me. I feel it is important to keep the students engaged in whatever we are learning. Today I would like to talk about a very interesting aspect I have found using technology to make lessons more engaging. One thing I find extremely interesting for students to do is take virtual field trips. For instance, in my English class when we begin talking about an author, it is very helpful and interesting to my students if I show them the authors town and house. When we talk about the Salem Witch Trials, they get to feel as if they are in Salem, Massachusetts looking through the museum thanks to a virtual tour. This could be used by all grade levels in many different subjects. It is a cheaper more plausible experience to getting students the culture and knowledge they need for a specific lesson.

Station Rotation

This year my math class consisted of 32 students.  In order to meet the needs of all learners, I divided them into two math groups.  Technology enhanced my use of learning stations in the classroom.  Students practiced basic facts on Math Facts in a Flash.  They received instruction and practice from Education Galaxy.  They also logged onto Google Classroom for an individualized lesson.  Technology saved my math class!

To Use Technology or Not to Use Technology?

My colleague and I were having one of our many discussions concerning technology this week.  She is particularly concerned that it may be harmful to add more screentime into our students' lives when we know they are already spending multiple evening hours in front of the screen.  I understand the concern, but most of me thinks it's still a good idea.  Our students use technology for entertainment.  As they mature and grow, this entertainment may even encompass activities for which technology shouldn't be used.  This is where educators can help.  We can educate children about ways technology can be used for learning and breaking barriers.  If we teach them proper use of technology, hopefully it will carry over into their free time as well. 

Education Galaxy

My students absolutely love Education Galaxy. It very colorful, engaging, and hit Reading, Math, and Language Arts. As the complete lessons, they earn different rockets and aliens. Definitely a PLUS for student engagement.

Technology in the Classroom

Through this class, I have learned to navigate different types of technology that are very beneficial for my classroom. My Blog, "Fourth and Fifth on Fleek", is probably my favorite experience from this class, with my web quest running a close second. I have used web quests in my classroom before, but mainly by giving students different websites to explore and complete different tasks with the information. I also liked using the podcast and screencast and seeing different ways they can be used in the classroom, my only downfall to those are downloading programs for them to be used. This is difficult to do on technology that requires admin to download new programs. Over all, I enjoyed this class and learned a lot of useful techniques that can be used in classroom currently.

Blogger Status

With the rise of social media, has come the rise of blogging. Instagram came into our lives less than 5 years ago, and since the rise of becoming "insta-famous", has become the rise of "blogger status". Blogging has taken over; and now has even become a 6 figure + salary job. I have found myself following certain bloggers; wether they be lifestyle, fashion, food, or education, I keep a daily tab on my favorites. I want to do what these "bloggers" do, and have yet to be disappointed by their suggestions. Until this class, I wasn't really sure what all it took to create, manage, and update a blog, and now see how it can be someone's full time job. I love blogging!!

Most students have an 800 dollar computer in their pockets, why are they not using it?

As i walked around my classroom on the first day of school observing my students and going over classroom expectations I felt my phone buzz in my pocket.  More than likely this was just a notification or a text message, and I disregarded the moment.  Just at that moment I clicked to the next slide on my powerpoint that stated the school policy for cell phones "No cell phones used throughout the day except for lunch and before school begins." This prompted me to get out my cell phone and demonstrate for the class what this expectation meant, secretly knowing I could also check my notification at the same time. As I demonstrated, I saw my notification was from Archeology magazine, they had recently discovered a comb from 2500 years ago.  Awesome, I thought to myself. At this very moment I began to wonder why we weren't using these incredible devices in the classroom.  Out of curiosity I asked my students how many had smart phone devices in their pockets every student but one raised there hand.  Incredible I thought.  Incredible how all of us could be holding a 500-800$ tiny computer in our pocket that receives instant information and sends instant information but we are not aloud to use it until lunch.  Thomas Jefferson, one of the smartest men in American History, is said to have the most extensive library of our founding fathers, and had read most of his books.  Being in the 1700's I can't imagine his library was that extensive as wikipedia or simply google.  Yet, he wrote the declaration of independence and is considered an American hero.  My point is this, our students today have access to more information and a quicker rate then ever before. But we are not a loud to use it until lunch? After giving this some contemplation I asked myself what Jefferson would do? I came to the conclusion of Revolution.  That year in my class smart phones were used for almost everything from assessments, to learning, and feedback.  This revolution, much like Jeffersons, was successful and inspired other revolutions throughout campus.

Technology a Brief History and The Correlation to the Classroom

Technology is defined as any new creation that makes life easier for us all.  10,000 years ago that was agriculture, 800 years ago that was a gun, and 9 years ago that was the smart phone.  For teachers and students, technology has fortunately been developed incidentally for the classroom, to help make both the students and teachers lives easier.  Much like those first farmers 10,000 years ago we are still learning.  What works and what doesn't work, how to use technology effectively and why it is important our students learn these skills for the future.  Through this class we have had the opportunity to learn how to use some of this amazing techniques for the classroom.  And just like for the people that invented the gun 800 years ago, teachers are loaded to ensure our students are ready for the 21st century.  These ideas and skills that we have learned throughout this class are hands down some of the most useful skills I have learned during my Masters program.  And although the smart phone was invented just nine years ago, I feel more comfortable standing up in front of a class today than ever before saying "Alright guys, lets get out our smart phones."

Corey Waters

Finally Learned How To Do Something

When I took this glass and took a glance down to the assignments, I wasn't intimidated because this was stuff I've been used a lot in my profession, plus I was a mass communication major in college so I got to work with a lot of these programs. One thing I am so happy I got to learn was the Jing program, which helps you webcast, and record things from your screen to show other people. There's been a few cases that I wish I knew how to do this, and I'm so happy I have that to use now. It's a good way to explain things to people in my profession without being there, so if I am away on business I can show my students/work study how to do something without even being there, amazing and glad I found out what this program is and I will use it in the future.

Loved my technology class!

I hope to be an educator one day, I see myself as one now just in my profession but one day I hope to extend that to the classroom. I think the teaching landscape would be a much better, enjoyable place with a lot of the techniques we emphasized in class this semester. Being very technology savvy, I didn't know how much this class would help me, but it was fun to be creative and see my professor being okay with my weird, quirky way of doing things. I hope some of our educators will use some of these things we've learned in the classroom!

Edutech for Teachers

On of the blogs I follow is Edutech for Teachers. I would like to encourage all my classmates to consider looking at this blog. "This blog, created and maintained by Jamie Forshey, geeky girl and instructional technology specialist at the Bellwood-Antis School District in Central PA, is dedicated to innovative teaching and learning through the use of technology and digital media that engages students in learning while providing them with a 21st Century educational experience." 

I especially enjoy her Tech it Up Tuesday. This is a weekly series in which she shares an edtech tool, app, or "other resource that can be utilized in the educational setting".  I also get an email from her point to me her favorite Diigo Bookmarks of the week.

Go check out her blog it is amazing.

A Fun Time was Had by All

This has been a fun class! I especially loved working on the WebQuest. I even used it with my AP Psychology Students in Malaysia! It was a bit clunky getting the "virtual ball" rolling but once it got going the students seemed to really enjoy it. They were definitely producing well written products complete with media objects.

I would love to see other member's blogs. Here is a link to mine: A Post From Yost. Leave a link your blog in the discussion section below.

Class Blog

Although I learned several new techniques in this class, one of my favorite ones has been the class blog. This gives me a way to communicate with my students and have them communicate back with me as well as other peers. As a middle school teacher, my students love the ability to use our class blog to explore math. The class blog allows me to provide them with so many more resources to better understand difficult math topics and explore the use for them in the real world all on their own. I have already incorporate the blog into my everyday classroom and cannot wait to better develop this resource for next school year!

Technology For Educators

This class has been super beneficial at helping me shape my teaching practices to better peak the interest of my students. It seems as though at every observation, my observer always comments on the need for more technology in my classroom, as my teaching methods tend to be old fashioned because that is how I was always taught. My idea of technology was using the document camera, showing an occasional video, and showing a powerpoint here and there. However, this class has definitely opened my eyes to much more possibility for technology and how it can be used in my classroom. Before this class I had no idea how to do a screencast or podcast or even a webquest. I knew that several teachers used class blogs but had no clue how to go about making one. I am thankful for all of the techniques I have been introduced to and have already started to incorporate several into my teaching.

Technology

This class has been so great for my AP English Class. I wanted to incorporate a lot of technology in this class since they are about to go out into a world full of technology. I have done two big technology projects with them since starting this class. For the first, they had to make a video that teaches a play we weren't able to cover in class. They could do this by making a music video, movie trailer, E! Hollywood report, talk show, or any other approved idea. They project was very successful! I will include one of the turned in projects below.

The second project is the one I am using for my blog I created. The students are making their own short documentaries about a problem or praise in their community. The blog has been a great place for all the information, links, and just a general dumping ground for things they need to know. Overall I am really happy I took his class!

Technology Uprising

As a teacher in a high poverty school, technology is finally starting to grow. It seems at though it was of little importance 4 years ago, and now it's EVERYTHING. One area involving technology that is pushed at my school is the student data. We must show weekly and monthly growth. The student use of technology is evolving as well. We have recently acquired access to Education Galaxy, Study Island, and iCurio. This has increased student engagement drastically. I'm looking forward to learning new ideas and approaches in using technology in my classroom.

Technology in the classroom

       For my first post I would like to discuss technology and my feelings! I am so ashamed to admit that I have such a fear of using it! My students know much more than me and teach me more about than I teach them. This class is forcing me out of my comfort zone and I truly hope that I become more comfortable with using it in my own classroom. I look forward to working with each of you!
      I want to be able to use technology without the fear of my students clicking on things they should not look at. Each of my students were purchased a Google Chrome book to use through a district grant but I am too afraid to do anything more than type papers on them. As I started reading the text I have noticed so many things that I could have been using this year. So I am eager to use them next year!

Technology in the Classroom

At the beginning of the year, I decided that I would be using more technology in my classroom.  I started my own classroom page on Edmodo to post assignments and quizzes.  However, since taking this class, my confidence in using and managing online resources has skyrocketed.  I can envision so many ways to use the online resources available to help my students reach their learning goals.

I've never thought about using podcasts in my class before but now that I've seen how it can be done, I'm more than ready to begin using this type of technology in my classroom!  It's been a great learning experience and the ideas I've learned will benefit me throughout my career.

Loved my technology class!!

I have really enjoyed the Technology for Educators class. Prior to enrolling, I'm ashamed to say that I had never even heard of a screencast or a webquest!! I knew that my phone had a podcast app, but never dreamed of using it in my classroom!!! Looking over the assignments the first week, I felt overwhelmed and was stressed about having to complete tasks that I knew nothing about!! However, once I started each assignment, I realized how simple and useful these new tools could be used in my classroom. Now that I have my own class blog, I plan on utilizing it to keep my parents and students better informed.  Since I have discovered that there is a large online bank of webquest, I can now allow my students to take on a more active role in their learning process.  Thank you so much Dr. Rubin for giving me these new tools to keep my students interested!!

Technology in the Classroom

I have learned so much from this class that I will be able to utilize in my own classroom.  Students will love working with Jing, making Screencasts, and creating their own Podcasts!  At first, I felt that my students might be overwhelmed.  Now that I know more, I understand that all these techniques can promote student engagement.  The class challenged me to learn and perfect in areas that I already am knowledgeable of too.  I learned different ways to use PowerPoint, and what goes into creating your own WebQuests. I honestly think all these techniques can benefit each student.  Even the quietest students in your class will become more expressive through online blogging and wikis.  I learned that through using these online tools, students will also become more responsible in credibility of research, and the work they put into an assignment. I can't wait to show what I've learned.

Class Blog

The majority of the kids in my classroom only have internet access through a parents smartphone. However, I make a point of gathering them on the carpet in front of the active board and asking their input on which photos/information that we need to put on our blog. This gives them ownership of "Our Blog". They are excited to show it to guest that come into our classroom. I am excited to see how proud they are of their accomplishments and their willingness to share what they have learned with others.

Technology in the Classroom

I am so excited to use the information that I have learned during this course in my classroom. I was skeptical about how I would incorporate podcast, power points, weblogs, and screen cast into the curriculum of my 1st grade class. I have created a power point using the Dolch site words that I run during transitions with incorporate vocabulary/ site words into my daily curriculum. I have been able to use Jing to cut and paste specific content into my power point as well as my classroom blog. I am excited at the possibilities of using various technology in my classroom and look forward to building my weblog and creating new and useful resources for my classroom.

My Development

Districts around the state have begin to see the values of technology in the classroom.  Many of the barriers are facing are being broken down due to the fact that they see the potential in using internet and social site in schools.  The cutting edge districts even are using PD's to increase teacher potentials with tech.

I have been in several of these PD's, and I must say they have been helpful.  However this class has taken that to a whole new level.  Most technology education to teachers is dealing with or providing resources... which is great but often difficult to organize and use.  Most of the time I have great intent on using these resources but struggle to fit them into class, and eventually discard the idea.  This class was different because the backbone was with strategies and techniques.  It was not about involving some technology, it was about building a class around it, in a 21st century learning atmosphere.  It provided strategies and techniques to put resources into play.  Most importantly it showed me ways such as RSS feeds to organize resources.  This class laid the foundation of properly implementing social media to the class in a way to be safe and professional.  Blogs, wikis, and other sites allow students to own their work, and take their educational process in their hands.  An idea that is big in public schools these days.

The Unknown Possibilities

I never really knew about some of the technological tools and uses for those tools until I took this class. I actually considered myself to be somewhat tech savvy with using technology in my class until learning about some of these tools and programs. I have currently started using webquest in my class with our chrome books and smart boards. The students seem to really enjoy the change of pace that it brings to the class. I had never made a podcast or screencast until just recently and look forward to integrating this into my lessons. I didn't know programs like jing even existed. I have found that anytime I can use technology in the classroom my students enjoy the lesson more. It truly does make since because they are constantly immersed, entertained,and surrounded by it. I am hoping my class blog will spark interest in student learning once they see what is out there. A text book and notes can only take you so far.

Introducing Blogging to My Classroom

Blogging is a strategy that is becoming more widespread throughout the education field.  I like that it allows students to publish their opinions and thoughts and take ownership of them.  It is an easy way for them to ask questions and voice concerns and for me as the educator to see and reply to them.  Blogging will also allow students to help other students and take ownership of their  own education.  An important factor in having students become responsible.

The  most attractive part of blogging is the excitement that students are already showing towards using it.  In mentioning to my class that we would be starting a class blog, they were excited, and can wait to get started.  Finding things that students enjoy in education can be a difficult task.  I for one believe that if you can make education fun then students will learn better.

I always considered myself as a somewhat technology savvy individual. But I am learning daily that there are so many other ways to use technology in the classroom.  I feel that a class blog is a wonderful way to communicate with my students and their parents.  It's also a good way to keep students up-to-date with what's going on in class if they happen to be absent.  I am fortunate to have quite a bit of technology at my school.  We have smartbords, document cameras, and a brand new set of clickers in each classroom.  Also, a few years ago, every teacher received a new iPad to use.

Learning new technology and sharing

I am so excited to learn about Jing. I continuously need to train teachers and need a quick and easy way to set up tutorials for logging in to specific sites, how to enter grades on IC etc. Now instead of taking up time during PLCs I can email them a link so they can watch and learn. I also love RSS feeds to use for my various interests in education as well as personal interest sites.

My experiences with technology in the classroom is somewhat limited, although I am a younger teacher within our school and older teachers look to us to help.  Within my Art classes, technology in the teaching and the assignments were limited so I am hoping that by taking this course, I can add new assignments to our yearly curriculum, as well as my everyday instruction.

Technology in my class

I am blessed to teach in a school that has smartboards and student computers in all classrooms.  Our school also has a portable mondoboard that can be shared in any class that wants to use it.  Personally, I'm not familiar with a huge portion of the endless opportunities that are offered in the digital world today.  I am looking forward to learning more and applying my new-found knowledge in my classroom!!

Excited to learn more

I am very excited as well to learn how to blog. I am an assistant principal and one of my roles is to provide resources to teachers as a curriculum coach. I am always looking for new innovative ways for teachers to incorporate technology into the classroom. Most days, students know more than teachers when it comes to technology. It's a challenge to stay abreast. Excited to get ahead. ;)

Excited about Tech in Health/PE

I am new to blogging and I am very excited about learning new ways to incorporate technology into my classroom, after all my classroom is a gymnasium.  This has been an area that I have struggled with in the past and would really enjoy some new ideas of how I can bring Health/PE to my students via technology and do it in a manner that will cause them to be successful. 

Learning New Things

I'm very interested in learning how to incorporate some new ways to use technology into my class room. I have never blogged or made a podcast before and look forward to learning how to use those tools. My students are always on there phones and tablets and it's sometimes a battle getting them to put those items away and focus on the lesson. I believe if I can learn how to incorporate those devices into my lessons, they will be more apt to learn what I am trying to teach them.

Connectivism is changing the way kids learn and replacing old methods of teaching. Children now learn to operate technology such as ipads by preschool age. We as teachers need to adapt to technology and find better ways to communicate and teach our students using all types of technology such as podcast, apps, blogs, and all types of social networking. Eventually more technology and connectivism will be implemented into every classroom.  Students will relate more to connectivism than some of the older methods of teaching, and as teachers we need to be prepared and adjust to connectivism and new technology.I look forward to using connectivism in my classroom.

Podcast

I am looking forward to incorporating the use of a Podcast into my classroom. High School students will enjoy using a podcast due to the fact that they can not be seen only heard. They will be able to give their own personal views on topics discussed without having to actually speak in front of the class. Some students really struggle with public speaking in front of peers and I feel incorporating this into the lessons the students will get much more out of the topic discussed.

Mr. N's sandbox blog

Hey this is a sight I made 5 years ago, and it's still up and running.

Jing for the Classroom

I am excited to use Jing in my Advanced Digital Design class this semester! This would be a great tool for the students presenting their Advertising Campaign reports to the class and also would give the experience with long distance presentations. We could also us Jing to do application tutorials to help student who have trouble grasping instruction during the class. They could play the presentation at home or on the go to help them understand certain processes for the application.

Lots of new technology to incorporate in my class

I have learned a lot about how to make learning for my students easier and more detailed. I also believe that students will enjoy making podcasts and making presentations in Jing. I feel that having a blog for my class will help in classroom discussions and will help with getting parents involved to see what their child is learning and creating in my class. I can't wait to try each of these this next semester.

Common Planning

I feel common planning among departments would be very beneficial. I understand this is something that is very difficult in the high schools due to block classes, however, if this is at all possible I truly think it will benefit all that are involved. Right now we have certain inservice days to meet with those in our school district based on subject area. Common planning throughout the day for time to meet with those in your content area would help to plan out curriculum pacing guides and be able to communicate with other coworkers about how their students are doing along with what rate they were  moving at.

Excited about using JING/Podcast

I am so excited about this new semester starting tomorrow because I am determined to introduce JING with my new math lesson. My plan is to work out a couple of example problems at the beginning of each chapter that students and parents can access while doing homework. I know with the new Common Core standards a lot of parents are intimidated to try to help their children with math work, and I hope this will be an aid in eliminating that fear.


I feel as if this is fitting for the first day back after break...

Tabitha Wooten

Hopefully I have posted 2 blogs on this page because I'm really confused, stresses and pressed for time to get this stuff finished.

Having said that I have another Blog site for my class which is
MrNevels.blogspot.com  this isn't a link but I can try and add a link hold on :http://mrnevels.blogspot.com/

This is my class blog spot. thanks some interesting art lessons mostly drawing oriented.

Class Blogs

I also hope to use blogs in my classroom.  I already use our class website on a regular basis to keep students up to date.  I also link assignments, power point presentations, and primary sources to my class website to make class time more efficient and effective.  I think by setting up class blog,  I could create an even more efficient and effective classroom environment.  I think my students would appreciate and enjoy the class blog.  I think blogs could be a great communication tool for parents also.  I think parents would enjoy seeing what is going on the classroom.  A class blog would also be a great tool to keep parents up to date on assignments and etc.  Once students reach high school, it  seems a lot of communication home is lost, so by utilizing blogs, parents would be able to stay in the loop.

Using Podcasts in the Classroom

I have learned a tremendous amount about how to incorporate technology in the classroom.  I look forward to using what I've learned in this and using it in my history classes.  I especially look forward to using podcasts in my U.S. History and World History classes.  As we reach more modern times in our classes, I plan on having students researching  and studying various musical artists, song lyrics,  and types of music that were  impacted by the culture and time period.  I also plan on having students research on how these musicians influenced their generation.  I think a great closing activity for this research is the creation of podcasts by each student or by small groups.  Students could use podcasts to not only describe and analyze the impact of music on the culture, but they could also play samples of the music.  I think my students would really enjoy creating podcasts.  They could really dig deeper into the impact of jazz, blues, and rock n' roll on different time periods in modern history.

As we come to the close of this class, I realize just how many possibilities there are to use technology in appropriate and useful ways in the classroom. A screencast tutorial might come in handy for training students in my yearbook class as they are trying to learn to create pages for the yearbook. Students could use a podcast for a variety of reasons in my English classes such as poetry out loud readings, discussion circles, sharing study skills, etc. A detailed web quest could be self-guided by the students and even left with a substitute so that time away from class is not wasted time. Weblogs are a wonderful place to explore new ideas of your own and others. Most of all what I have learned is that all of this can also be used for other useful applications. My husband has already stolen some of these ideas and fine tuned them to work for his job. We really do have to use all of these things for the advancement of humankind at every opportunity and not just for watching cat videos!!

Using Podcasts in the Classroom

In my own personal experience Podcasts have been a great resource for learning. I have found that listening to Podcasts while driving, I can learn on the fly. They are a great way to expand your knowledge of a variety of topics without much effort. However, I had never thought about students creating Podcasts for classrooms until our assignment. I have given it thought and Podcasts in the classroom has opened my eyes to many things I can do for my students in the classroom. In my resource English classroom students can create Podcasts to explain the plot diagram of a story. The Podcast will serve as a great tool for assessing the students learning. Also, using Podcasts students can teach one another about a story in class. Students can do book reports in class without having to stand up and get nervous infant of their classmates. Podcasts will give them a screen to hide behind to help them feel more comfortable explaining what they have learned. This will give my students more confidence and help them become more successful in the classroom.

As I think about how new technology is going to improve student learning, I know that it will start with my mastery of new ways to use technology for educational purposes. My students will be more comfortable with anything that I am proficient in and excited to use in a way that advances learning for all. I attempt to model a willingness to learn new things and new ways of doing things for my students. While my students are extremely familiar and comfortable on the internet, they don't always know how to use the internet for educational and research purposes. We have allowed our students to become successful at internet entertainment before becoming comfortable with positive ways to improve their minds and lives with this awesome resource. We must move more quickly at learning how new technology and ideas can improve education instead of waiting until it is forced upon us.

Podcast

I really enjoyed the Podcast assignment. If you were the teacher of an online course I think this would be a great tool for blended learning. If students are working at home or on-the-go I think it is very creative tool that students are able to hear their instructors voice. This gives students the feel like they are in the traditional classroom, while also being flexible with schedules and allowing them to learn at their own pace.

Using Jing in the Classroom

When completing our assignment using Jing I could not help but think of how great it would be to use in my classroom. I am a firm believer if you are able to educate others how to do something, it strengthens your own understanding of the topic. Instead of students sitting and listening to me, the instructor, give instructions on setting up PowerPoint presentations, students can teach their peers how to be creative in using up to date presentation tools. 

Technology in the Classroom

I will be the first person to admit that I am always nervous when it comes to using new technology in my classroom.  However, after taking this course I will say that I am eager to use some of the different tools we have used with my students.  I think that taking a few of them and exposing my students to them will not only increase their technology skills, but will provide them with new and exciting ways to learn grammar and English.  I think they will enjoy using the podcast and the blogs the most.  It allows them to be a little more creative.  I am very interested to see how they do with it.

Blogs for the Classroom

I would have never really considered blogging as a useful tool in my classroom.  However, the more time that I spend using it I realize that it could be a great part of my 8th grade English class.  I think that it would be a great way for students to help each other with assignment, or to even discuss novels we read in class.  I could see it being used for a long term project like literature circles.  Not only does it provide my students with more opportunities for discussion, but it will give students that communicate better by writing a chance to express their thoughts.  I could see it being used for a long term journal activity.  There are many different things you can do with a blog in a classroom environment that I would have never really considered, but I am looking forward to using them in the future. 

Podcast

I think using podcast in the classroom is a great tool to get students involved in projects that they could submit without having to stand up in front of the class. This would really help the students that are more reserved in front of their peers. This is also a way that I could record myself reteaching a concept and students could use this if they were having trouble with homework. This class has really opened my eyes to new resources that could be used in my classroom daily.


Ashley Throp (Johnson)

Using Jing in the Classroom

While learning to use Jing for one of our assignments I began to realize how powerful and useful of an option this could be in my classroom. I teach math and being able to record my voice and show step by step of how to work on a concept or how to access information that could help a student learn a concept is a great resource. It is also a great way to instruct students in creating a project that they could then teach to the class. This use of technology could really be beneficial in my classroom. 

Ashley Throp (Johnson) 

Educational Blogs

I really enjoyed creating a blog for my classroom. I think that is going to be extremely beneficial moving forward in my career. I plan on adding this to a weekly email next week in order to introduce my new blog to the parents. I plan on, instead of the weekly email, now updating my blog every week with things the parents need to know as well as different educational tools for my students. I am wondering if I can add my Podcasts to my blog? Just a thought. I think I am going to go back in and try it out.

Taking this class I realize how far behind the times I am, when it comes to technology.  I have greatly enjoyed taking this class and learning about podcasting, blogging, and making a web quest.  As I was doing each assignment I could things of lots of great ways to use them in my 3rd grade classroom.  When we get back to school after break, I am wanting to let the students make a podcast set to music to practice their multiplication facts and let them make another podcast of word problems. So other students can practice pulling out the important information in them, to better help them work the word problems.  With our new math books and the TnReady testing, they need to have a very firm grasp on word problems and pulling out important information.

Audacity

After downloading and learning features of podcasting, I have observed that by using Audacity in a classroom setting, students can learn about their speaking talents. Whether you have them use this program in the classroom or outside of the classroom, they can practice for a presentation by simply podcasting through Audacity. Once they have recorded themselves, they can play back what they have spoken to see what improvements should be made before standing in front of a class full of peers. This is a great program (especially since it is free).

Podcasts

I believe that podcasts can be used in a number of ways. In the podcast assignment I mentioned a couple of options, like using it as a way for students who are reluctant to speak in class to get their ideas out there. Also, I liked the idea of using podcasts to get information to students who have missed multiple days in a row. Unfortunately, I have students that miss multiple days or even a week. I can share  podcast, explaining assignments they have missed or something important that they need to know for when they return to school. I think that podcasts are an easy way for all students and teachers to convey information within the classroom or from home between students. I love the simplicity for students, who are already tech-savvy. They could run with this and make it a wonderful tool.

whachu gonna do

song for the blog

finished my pod cast for class, tried to play a song see if I can down load it to the blog.

Jing in the classroom

As I was completing the Jing assignment, I realized that there are so many ways to implement it into my classroom. For example, my school district is going all Google this semester. Many students do not know how to use all of the features that Google and Google+ have to offer. An easy way to teach students how to learn all of the features that Google has to offer is to make videos with Jing that can be shared with students who are either learning to use Google or need a refresher on how to do things. I find myself re-telling students how to do certain functions in Google Docs or Google Slides all the time. These short video clips would allow students to find the answers in a short video, that could be accessed from home also. I think that this could be an easy way to get relevant information to students learning to use all of the features that Google has to offer.