I tried out the concept map found at the link above for my summary of learning. I wanted to try something new for my last entry and I chose concept mapping because I think this would be an engaging way to have students work on this concept. The map was extremely easy to use. A student of any grade would be able to use this website to make a concept map. I used a basic version - what you get is what you see above. For a six dollar monthly fee - or a 59 dollar yearly charge - you can upgrade to download pictures, insert links, or upload content from your computer. While that would be fun - and something I think might be worth the charge depending on how often it was utilized in the classroom - I stuck with the basic format for this activity. I summarized all of the tools I used and learned about this semester. Of them all, I think that Voicethread was my favorite tool. I love interactive storytelling and appreciate that it can be utilized anywhere, that parents can be part of the process, and that it can be edited by multiple users at the same time. It was also very easy to use and included an audio function.
My biggest take away from this class is that for a teacher to utilize technology in the classroom she has to be willing to explore what is available, be creative and enterprising in the use of the technology, and create small goals for herself to keep moving forward with the integration of technology in her classroom. My plan for integrating technology is to identify the types of technology I am most comfortable introducing first that will benefit the learning process of my students. Since this type of technological integration is new to me I want to start small and make sure I have a good grasp of how the process will flow. I will pick one or two more types of technology to learn more about so that I can integrate those into my classroom the following year.
I plan to increase my PLN by continuing my blog, reading the blogs of other educators, and utilizing twitter to follow educators around the world. I had never given thought to using blogs or twitter before this class but now feel comfortable using blogs to record my learning and twitter to have discussions with other professionals.
I've really enjoyed exploring the different types of technology available and the ways teachers can utilize that tech to enhance their learning and teaching. I feel much more comfortable with several different types of media and am ready to use them in the classroom!
This week's topic is TPACK. I'd never heard of TPACK before so my first question was - what is it. The most helpful introduction to TPACK was this two minute video introduction.
The official definition of TPACK is: technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) is a framework to understand and describe the kinds of knowledge needed by a teacher for effective pedagogical practice in a technology enhanced learning environment.
A simpler definition is TPACK is a framework that brings together 3 knowledge areas - technological(the partner - the tool), pedagogical(the how - instructional types), content (the what- subject matter)- and how they work together to make the content being taught more accessible and increase student motivation.
What questions should you consider before implementation (technical, administrative, pedagogical, other)?
Some things come to mind when I think about integrating technology in the classroom - these are in no particular order.
1. What is my ease of use with the technology in question and will I be able to use it effectively?
2. What support does the district provide in regards with integrating technology in the classroom?
3. What technology is available to students - computers, laptops, ipads, etc?
4. How will I use the technology to enhance the content I am teaching?
5. Will I need to teach the technology itself before the content - how can this be integrated into lessons?
6. How will I assess my students?
7. Is the technology meaningful to the content I am teaching or does it detract from the lesson?
What are some of the positive attributes as well as potential barriers regarding the introduction of transiliterate practices in the classroom?
Some pros include:
*student centered approach to learning
*more student collaboration
*non-linear collection of information
*students seem to be more motivated when technology is involved
*enhancement of reading skills
*internet usage increases students higher order thinking skills
*critical thinking skills are enhanced
Some cons include:
*negative educator attitudes to technology incorporation
*teacher's lack of training in technological competencies
*technology changes rapidly
*lack of resources in the classroom
*repurposing technology meant for the business world to the world of the classroom
How will you choose technologies that enhance the teaching approaches for a lesson in your own classroom?
During my reading for class I found that this question was answered very well in the artic K-6 literacy learning activities. Below is a screen shot of a portion of the website. You can see that the activity type - in this case, pre-reading activities - are listed on the left, with a brief description of the content area in the middle, and the variety of technologies available to enhance the learning of this skill listed on the right. To access this website to go http://activitytypes.wm.edu/K6LiteracyFeb11.html
I think it is important for each teach to do their own homework when it comes to technologies. I have found that there are a variety of different technological approaches to teaching a concept but you have to find the right one for your purposes and the best fit for your students.
After learning about TPACK, what questions do you have and how do you think you can begin to answer them?
1.My first question is - how do I go about implementing technology into the classroom?
I watched a webinar at www.edweb.com about how to implement technology in a classroom. The webinar was hosted by Vicki Davis @coolcatteach from Camilla Georgia. She is a highschool teacher but her methods could be utilized by anyone. She stresses that technology is expensive and just because we bought it doesn't mean it will automatically enhance a classroom. She suggests innovating like a turtle - move forward a little bit every day to make a journey of a thousand miles. She describes learning and implementing one technology per year to your repertoire of pedagogical tools.
2. What are the best technologies to introduce to K-3 students?
This Wiki page https://k3classroomtech.wikispaces.com/Classroom+Wikis provides a list of wiki pages created by teachers that describe how they use technology in their classrooms and how the children they teach interact with it.
3. How do I monitor and assess my use of technology in the classroom?
What I took away from this topic is that a teacher needs to have a clear understanding of the content she is going to teach, how she is going to teach it, and what technology will best enhance the learning experience. She needs to have a plan for how she is going to make these three knowledge bases intersect and she will then implement this in her classroom. TPACK is a model, or framework, that helps a teacher guide their understand of these concepts and create that experience.
A word cloud is an image composed of words used in a particular text or subject, in which the size of each word indicates its frequency or importance. There are a number of reasons to use word clouds in the classroom, such as helping students improve their vocabulary, as a self assessment tool when writing, as an activating strategy, as a "getting to know you" tool, and to help your students understand assessments (for more on this go to http://www.edudemic.com/5-ways-use-word-cloud-generators-classroom/).
The website reviewed for this activity was http://www.abcya.com/word_clouds.htm The word cloud is easy to create. You simply copy and paste or type in a selection of words and click the arrow button. A sample of your word cloud is created and you then have the option to change the text font, color scheme, and the organization of the words.
I used a poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay called Recuerdo to create my word cloud.
Like I stated above, this is a very simple website to use to create a word cloud. It did not require any additional add-ons and was simple to save to my computer. If you would like to create a word cloud with your students I would suggest using this site.
Tool Reviews # 2 - Storytelling Tools - Story bird
I reviewed the storytelling tool Storybird. It is a program that uses art to inspire writing.
The website prompts new users to create an account. You can login as an individual or as an educator. I chose educator - this option allows you to share your account with your students. You are prompted to put in your class information and then your class list. There are several options that you can chose for putting in a class list. I skipped this since I wasn't actually using associating a class with this project.
You can use Storybird to create assignments for students. It is a simple format of naming and describing the activity. You can upload media to describe the activity. You set the parameters and the due date and the activity is ready to go.
The website doesn't really come with a tutorial or directions but is easy to navigate all the same. I first read a few stories under the read tab to see what was out there. Then I decided to write my own story. It takes you to the artwork page where you can choose to scroll through or pick different tags to look at the art. When you find a picture you like, you can choose that piece of artwork. You have three options for writing - long form, which is multi chapters, picture which is shorter, or poem. I did a picture book first and then a poem second.
These are not free for all writing activities. The picture book provided you the pictures available from the artist that you originally chose and you craft a story around it. The poem provided a set of pre-selected words for the art chosen. If you do not like the words you can request new words or select new art.
This is a fun site that is very simple to use, I could definitely see myself using this with younger children. The words and even the punctuation are available in the poem option. Younger children would be able to navigate this site with minimal help. Storybird would be a great site to use to incorporate digital media into the writing process.
There is also a very nice You Tube tutorial that explains Story bird, as well.
I had never used Voice Thread and found the video tutorials to be very helpful. I do not have any type of media saved on my computer that was appropriate for the project we were asked to complete so I decided to make my Voice Thread using Power Point. I'm familiar with Power Point so using this technology was an easy way to make my first Voice Thread. I googled some pictures for illustrations and found the words to my story from a book I had on hand from Reading A-Z entitled How Frogs Grow. Once I had my Power Point set up it was easy to make a Voice Thread account and make my first project. So, for this project, I needed to be familiar with google, how to save pictures to my computer, how to use Power Point, and how to use Voice Thread.
I can see where this technology would be useful in a classroom. I really liked how easy it was to record audio and leave comments. This would be great for group projects especially since students can use and edit the program at the same time. You could use Voice Thread to create and share projects and learning experiences from classrooms around the globe. If you were using this to discuss current events you could get first hand accounts from students who are living in the part of the world where the event is taking place. I could also see this being used for make up snow day projects by districts.
If you scroll down to the first comment about Voice Thread (11-10-2012 posted by Donn) it links you a Voice Thread that was done by Mrs. Jones' first grade class in 2009. They created their own story page to the prompt If you give a __ a __. The children narrated the story and what looks like parents made comments on the pages. It's one way to use this type of technology with younger students that I would definitely try in my classroom.
When you first go to the website it looks cluttered and unpolished. If I hadn't gotten this site from the list I would have thought I had wandered into something spam like and would have closed my browser.
You have to register to use the site - name and email address. When you log in it takes you the home page where you can browse, create, convert and sell ebooks. I would be hesitant to send a young child to this page with out an adult providing guidance. There are several links on this page that navigate you away from the home page.
I decided to look at some of the free kids books offered first. These appear to be books authored by children for children. I tried out two books. The first wouldn't format correctly - you were supposed be able to click on the arrows to go through the book. Instead it came out as one long scroll down page that was jumbled and hard to read. The next book formatted correctly but not all of the pictures would load and it had a very long lag time between pages. There are also advertisements on the pages to click on. The ones I saw were from Scholastic.
I decided to make a book. I clicked on the link and it took me to a page with boxes to put in information. I could put in the title. It filled in the author and illustrator information from what I provided when I signed up. It fills in a publish date and you can choose the language and age range. You can pick your book type - picture or chapter, put in a story summary, and choose a cover image. You then have to put in a code from a box (like you would for a security measure).
After this it takes you to a page that looks like a typical word document. You can type in the box and add video, image, or audio files from your computer. I clicked on the image icon to see what happens and it popped up a box with a paragraph in it that was not in English so I have no idea what it said. I tried to close the box and nothing happened so I had to hit my back button which took me back to the create your ebook page. I had to reenter all of my information to try again. I got back to where I could enter text typed in a website. I clicked on the button to make it hypertext and a box popped up. Cue the last problem I had with the same results.
I was pretty frustrated with the whole thing by this point. I went back in to make some pages for my book. I wanted to upload some pictures but I could only choose files from my computer. I don't have pictures or videos or audio files on my computer and I didn't want to go through the trouble of finding something on the web to save to my computer to upload to this book I was trying to make.
STUCK!!
So I went in and typed some gibberish into the slides. You save changes when you are done and you are given the option of publishing publicly or not. If you don't the book is only viewable if you know the URL. I clicked through the book and then went back to the home page. I thought the book would be saved to may account. That was an erroneous assumption. I didn't write down the URL and because I didn't publish publicly I couldn't look it up. Perhaps it saved somewhere but I wasn't able to find it again.
I really would NOT recommend this book publishing site to anyone. It was frustrating and hard to use. I can't see children being able to navigate this site effectively.
Writing and illustrating my own story is one of my fondest memories of grade school. I still have all of the books I authored. I think doing so using an online tool would be an excellent way to incorporate technology into the classroom (although I loved sewing my book together and having the hard copy all these years later). We used the website Little Bird Tales last semester and it was everything this website was not. I would recommend trying out that website if you are interested in epublishing with your students. https://www.littlebirdtales.com/
I hadn't heard of a personal learning network before this class. Since I've been learning about PLN's and what they encompass I've been reflecting back on the years I've spent learning and networking and how that has impacted my work as a teacher.
Learning came in two forms. I was sent to a conference - that I didn't get to choose - or I had an "in house" training on a topic - that I didn't get to choose. Networking came from talking shop with the same work colleagues that I saw every day or exchanging business cards with strangers around the punch table while awkwardly making small talk. Personal didn't factor into the equation; my hope was that something would be discussed that was relevant to what I teach and that I could actually utilize in my day to day work. This usually didn't pan out.
So for me a PLN is a customized experience of my own choosing. It's personal because I've made the choice to participate, I've chosen the manner in which I participate, and I interact with others at my own comfort level. The learning that takes place is designed by me on the topics that I feel would be most beneficial for myself and my classroom. Networking is done on a global scale across many types of platforms. This really lets me stay as up to date as possible on any given topic.
The best thing, for me, is that a PLN is available 24/7. I don't have to worry about cost, travel, or rearranging my schedule to fit in time to learn. Also, PLN's are populated by a wide variety of professionals. This means I can join groups and discussions with teachers, principals, professors, and other experts of the field and utilize perspectives from across the board. This website tells a little bit about just what a PLN is and includes some really nice videos http://teacherchallenge.edublogs.org/pln-challenge-1-what-the-heck-is-a-pln/
In doing my research on PLN I've come to conclude that the main definition of PLN is sharing, collaborating, and learning also know as connectivism or learning from diverse social webs. This article describes the concept of connectivism in a little more detail http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Jan_05/article01.htm
This website http://gettingsmart.com/2013/01/20-tips-for-creating-a-professional-learning-network/ is a general site for tips to set up a PLN and the general etiquette surrounding responsible use. I liked the distinction made between personal and professional information and the tips for keeping the two separate. It also has many different ways to network through the use of technological tools that I've never heard of. If I want to be transliterate then I have to keep up with the different options available for use. I have to keep learning so that I can keep teaching!
I think these 10 tips for someone just starting a PLN were very useful http://gettingsmart.com/2012/01/personal-learning-networks-for-educators-10-tips/
I'm the type of person to get easily frustrated with technology especially if I don't feel the reward is justifiable to the amount of effort put forth. These tips address this issue and encourage a bit of patience while you establish your network.
Overall, a PLN will help me grow as a teacher both in and out of the classroom. I have a professional obligation to myself to continue to learn and grow in my field and PLN's seem like a great way to stay in touch with what is going on now in education all over the world. I can ask questions, debate topics, or tell about all the great things I'm doing in my classroom. I can then use that knowledge to enhance my teaching. I can also use PLN's to create virtual learning scenarios with other teachers and classrooms anywhere in the world. The uses and advantages of a PLN grow every day and are only a click away!
Hi, I’m Melody Johnson.
I live in Orrville and graduated from Ashland University with my BA in
ECE in 2007. After I graduated I wasn’t able to find a permanent teaching
position and took a position working for the ELI program at Childtime, Inc.
That led to an administrative ELI position with Wayne/Medina Co. Community Action
in early 2008. Unfortunately for me, later that year the state budget needed to
be balanced a little more effectively and what the government gives, the
government can take away, and the ELI program was no more. I was lucky in the fact that I was able to be
shuffled to the Head Start Department. I ended up liking the position and have
stayed with it since then.
I am a Family Visitor with Early Head Start. I work with
pregnant moms through the birth of their children and children up to the age of
3. I conduct weekly lessons in the home of the pregnant mom or child. I follow
a curriculum and create individual lessons based on the educational needs of the
family and child. Much of my work is focused on educating the parents on best
practices for their specific child, providing social service intervention, and
wrap around work with other agencies that the family might be involved with.
While I enjoy what I do and feel very positive about the
impact of my work with the families I serve, my original objective was to work
in an elementary classroom and so I decided to revisit that goal. It had been a
while since I had graduated and I decided to make myself more marketable and
brush up on current teaching methodologies, and so here I am.
I currently use Facebook and Goodreads as my preferred social
media. I have a Pintrest account but never use it. I consider myself to be more
of an observer. I have one person on Facebook that I occasionally chat with and
I think this is more of a holdover from the days when we used to Instant
Message each other. I do not post pictures of myself (I’ve never taken a
selfie), I rarely post status updates (maybe once a month), and I don’t request
friends unless I know the person in more than a casual manner (although I
usually can’t resist adding a friend if someone else requests it first). I don’t join groups and I don’t play games.
I’m a bit more active on Goodreads due to the fact that it
is less personal and about the books – if you make it that way. I enjoy reading
book reviews and I occasionally review books myself. I have “friended” people
on Goodreads that I do not know because I have similar tastes in books or enjoy
reading the reviews they post. I was familiar with most of the other types of
social media described by the author – Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Tumblr –
but have never felt compelled to try them out.
I had never heard of Yik Yak or Medium.
The most interesting part the author’s article, to me, wasn’t
his take on the types of technology kids his age are using but the overarching
idea that everyone was using something. It’s pretty obvious that as a
means to social interaction I couldn’t care less about technology. I respect
its purpose and power, and am eager to try out new methods of teaching using
technology, but it isn’t an ingrained necessity. To me, it’s just another tool.
I have a 17 year old nephew and sometimes I think if you
took away his smartphone, laptop(s), desktop(s), tablet(s), and gaming systems
he might keel over on the spot from the sudden lack of electromagnetic
radiation in his personal space. (He’s also studying for a future in
web/computer design, lest you think him horribly spoiled). These objects that he uses to interact with
the world aren’t just a means to an end or another tool to him. They’re part of
his social consciousness and are inextricably intertwined with his daily life.
That has huge implications, especially for me as a teacher that will be
gathering 25 children of a certain age into a classroom that all have my nephew’s
mindset. I have to teach to the society they are growing up in, not in the one
I did.
I’d really like to say thanks if you actually managed to
stick with this and read all the way through. I’ve never written a blog before
and this turned out more like a paper I had to turn in for a class than
personal thoughts or reflections. Hopefully I’ll be able to loosen up a bit as
I do this more!
