In the beginning of this course, I thought to myself, “By not taking any technology classes for the past 3 years,” “Have I been left in the dust?” “What happened?” I now know what happened, Web 2.0 applications have changed technology integration in the classroom. With this being said, I found this class to be challenging, time-consuming, and extremely beneficial. I just told someone the other day I have never learned so much in an 8 week time frame in my life! This fact proves that if professional teachers do not keep up with technology, in a few short years, what one knows about technology is outdated. This course has helped me understand what is new in technology, the benefits of using technology in the classroom, and how to become an avid user of Web 2.0 technology.
My knowledge of teaching and learning has been expanded by integrating Web 2.0 technology. I had no idea what the term Web 2.0 meant. I especially never thought about technology and its relationship with 21st century skills. By learning about these skills, I can now bring my lessons to a new level. Sometimes in third grade, just having a conversation about technology and its relationship to the workplace is all that it takes to make that connection with my students.
I have always been more of a learner-centered type of teacher. I use many project based activities in my classroom. I enjoy motivating my students to explore and discover new things on their own. I like being the guide on the side. It was interesting to read the research that proves student-centered classrooms create a better classroom learning environment, and students spend more time on task which equals greater learning.
The ways I can continue to expand my knowledge of learning, teaching, and leading with technology is to continue pursuing the Integrating Technology in the Classroom Masters' Program, keeping up with reading the professional blogs, and continuing using Web 2.0 technology. The more comfortable I become with using Web 2.0 applications, the easier it will be to incorporate them into my lessons. Increasing student achievement is always on top of my list of important things to accomplish as a teacher. The tricky part is to incorporate technology in a way that helps my third grade students prepare for the “non technology - non 21st century’’ state test. My students are very motivated to learn when I teach my lessons in the computer lab. This motivation increases learning. I will continue researching ways to combine the two; using technology to improve student achievement on the state test.
In the next two years I plan to incorporate more technology into my classroom. I will include these goals in my Professional Improvement Plan. This plan is submitted to our Principal and goals have to be met. My first goal will be to use the lap top cart, and the smart board that has been purchased, but is not ready for classroom use right now. I will volunteer to use these technologies in my classroom to increase motivation, learning, student achievement, and allow me to do something different with the use of technology. Having these goals as my Professional Improvement Plan will help to bring technology to my classroom. This class has provided me with the knowledge I need to fulfill my PIP objective. I will use my experience in teaching, my creativity, and the curriculum to guide me in incorporating technology daily into my lessons. It will be my goal to use technology to do something different. I will record and reflect each week on my lessons. This will enable me to monitor and adjust my teaching to make the most effective use of technology. I am hopeful that by incorporating technology in a small way each day, at the end of two years, there will only be a few lessons in my classroom without the incorporation of technology, not the other way around.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
My First Technology Podcast
http://julieannebudd.podomatic.com/entry/2009-10-14T06_08_37-07_00
My first podcast took a long time to create. I used audacity to record the sound. This was the easy step. The problem was converting the wav file to an mp3 file without the proper programs loaded on my school computer. There are firewalls that prevent a lot of downloads. Needless to say, I am proud that I finally was able to publish my podcast. I learned a lot about “audio” files. I feel that podcasting is a very motivating Web 2.0 application. My third graders love to hear their voice. As I work out the technology issues with the conversion of audio files I am hopeful that I can have my third graders record a podcast too. I have attached my podcast’s URL. I hope you enjoying listening to the results of my third grade technology survey.
My first podcast took a long time to create. I used audacity to record the sound. This was the easy step. The problem was converting the wav file to an mp3 file without the proper programs loaded on my school computer. There are firewalls that prevent a lot of downloads. Needless to say, I am proud that I finally was able to publish my podcast. I learned a lot about “audio” files. I feel that podcasting is a very motivating Web 2.0 application. My third graders love to hear their voice. As I work out the technology issues with the conversion of audio files I am hopeful that I can have my third graders record a podcast too. I have attached my podcast’s URL. I hope you enjoying listening to the results of my third grade technology survey.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Evaluating the 21st Century Skills
‘The Partnership for 21st Century Skills” website was designed with a vision of preparing our students to succeed as citizens and workers in the 21st century. When reading this week’s blog assignment, my first reaction was a shocking one. If this very important website exists, why then has it never been mentioned in my school district. As I read the information presented in the website, I was impressed by the organization and content of the information.
The information that surprised me from the website is that not every state is listed in the “How States are Integrating ICT Literacy into Schools.” (page 18-19) I am thinking that every state should be listed. I feel that when a teacher is viewing the website, it is a powerful statement to see your state listed. It also surprises me that the website was developed in 2002 and there is not a link to real world results. What I mean is if a school implemented the nine steps to build momentum,(page 20) “Were the results met?” “Did students succeed that went through the program?” Another surprising thing was the very detailed list about “How Key Stakeholders Can Support the Effort” (Page 24) Is there any research showing how public and private sectors have followed through with the website’s suggestions?
I did not disagree with anything on the website. As I stated above, I would just like to see an update as to if the plan works. I would also like to know if students are more prepared and succeeding at their jobs. It would be powerful to have some testimonials from students who went through the program.
The biggest implication for my students is to incorporate technology as much as possible in my daily lessons. For me as an educator, this is my vision for my students. The statement from pages 21 & 22 really made me think: “The power of core subjects and 21st century skills to make a difference in student learning is tempered by the fact that many students do not yet have access to them.” This was written in 2002, and here 7 years later, my students still do not have 21st century technology readily available to them in the classroom. As an educator, I need to come up with a plan to try and change this fact. I still have only 2 computers in my classroom. It seems that the majority of technology improvements that are made in my district happen in the middle school and high schools. This continues to be a challenge for educators to balance the teaching of basic skills and 21st century skills.
References:
Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (n.d.). A report and mile guide for 21st century skills. Washington DC: Author. Retrieved from http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/images/stories/otherdocs/p21up_Report.pdf
The information that surprised me from the website is that not every state is listed in the “How States are Integrating ICT Literacy into Schools.” (page 18-19) I am thinking that every state should be listed. I feel that when a teacher is viewing the website, it is a powerful statement to see your state listed. It also surprises me that the website was developed in 2002 and there is not a link to real world results. What I mean is if a school implemented the nine steps to build momentum,(page 20) “Were the results met?” “Did students succeed that went through the program?” Another surprising thing was the very detailed list about “How Key Stakeholders Can Support the Effort” (Page 24) Is there any research showing how public and private sectors have followed through with the website’s suggestions?
I did not disagree with anything on the website. As I stated above, I would just like to see an update as to if the plan works. I would also like to know if students are more prepared and succeeding at their jobs. It would be powerful to have some testimonials from students who went through the program.
The biggest implication for my students is to incorporate technology as much as possible in my daily lessons. For me as an educator, this is my vision for my students. The statement from pages 21 & 22 really made me think: “The power of core subjects and 21st century skills to make a difference in student learning is tempered by the fact that many students do not yet have access to them.” This was written in 2002, and here 7 years later, my students still do not have 21st century technology readily available to them in the classroom. As an educator, I need to come up with a plan to try and change this fact. I still have only 2 computers in my classroom. It seems that the majority of technology improvements that are made in my district happen in the middle school and high schools. This continues to be a challenge for educators to balance the teaching of basic skills and 21st century skills.
References:
Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (n.d.). A report and mile guide for 21st century skills. Washington DC: Author. Retrieved from http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/images/stories/otherdocs/p21up_Report.pdf
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
A Blog in Mrs. Budd’s Classroom (Using a blog as a way to read and write critical thinking responses in my third grade classroom)
Using technology is my favorite way to motivate my third grade classroom. The children love using computers. One example of how I would begin my blog would be to post a question and require my students to respond to my question, or another classmate’s response.
In my third grade class we read the book Balto, the Dog Who Saved Nome, by Margaret Davidson. After reading the book I ask the students the question: Who do you think was the hero in the story? Explain. I would begin my blog with this question. I would also provide links to some websites that provide information about Huskies, The True Story of Balto, and Attributes of Heroes. Providing these links on my blog will allow student to gain some background knowledge to assist them in responding to the blog’s question.
My hope is that students will come up with new ideas, show creativity and original thinking. Many students may start with trying to repeat what the first student response was. I think with proper modeling, students will expand their thinking as they become more comfortable with the world of blog writing. My ultimate goal is to transform my classroom into a community of learners.
Blogging requires teachers to show students how to write for a public audience. Prior to the posting of the answers to the blog question, many lessons need to be covered. Blogging etiquette lessons would be taught. The students would also be taught how to write an answer to a question for an audience to read. The last thing I would do is expose my students to several great examples of blog responses.
A rational for my blog lesson:
Blogs are changing the way students learn. They provide the opportunity for students to spend quality time in school and at home sharing knowledge, opinions and learning from others. My blog would promote critical and analytical thinking. When I wrote this lesson I had not previously had a classroom blog. In my reading lessons, I like to ask thought provoking questions to lead my students to higher levels of thinking. The teaching of reading is really more the teaching of thinking. Students need to be shown how to think as they read. I am constantly telling my students that a good reader is always thinking. A great way to show my students this would be to create a critical reading blog. A blog is an excellent opportunity to allow my students to read and write more while collaborating and discussing higher level thinking questions. I look forward to implementing this lesson as I grow more comfortable in using blogs.
In my third grade class we read the book Balto, the Dog Who Saved Nome, by Margaret Davidson. After reading the book I ask the students the question: Who do you think was the hero in the story? Explain. I would begin my blog with this question. I would also provide links to some websites that provide information about Huskies, The True Story of Balto, and Attributes of Heroes. Providing these links on my blog will allow student to gain some background knowledge to assist them in responding to the blog’s question.
My hope is that students will come up with new ideas, show creativity and original thinking. Many students may start with trying to repeat what the first student response was. I think with proper modeling, students will expand their thinking as they become more comfortable with the world of blog writing. My ultimate goal is to transform my classroom into a community of learners.
Blogging requires teachers to show students how to write for a public audience. Prior to the posting of the answers to the blog question, many lessons need to be covered. Blogging etiquette lessons would be taught. The students would also be taught how to write an answer to a question for an audience to read. The last thing I would do is expose my students to several great examples of blog responses.
A rational for my blog lesson:
Blogs are changing the way students learn. They provide the opportunity for students to spend quality time in school and at home sharing knowledge, opinions and learning from others. My blog would promote critical and analytical thinking. When I wrote this lesson I had not previously had a classroom blog. In my reading lessons, I like to ask thought provoking questions to lead my students to higher levels of thinking. The teaching of reading is really more the teaching of thinking. Students need to be shown how to think as they read. I am constantly telling my students that a good reader is always thinking. A great way to show my students this would be to create a critical reading blog. A blog is an excellent opportunity to allow my students to read and write more while collaborating and discussing higher level thinking questions. I look forward to implementing this lesson as I grow more comfortable in using blogs.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Trade With Me
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Welcome! Welcome to my technology trading blog. I open this blog up to all educators. Think of this blog as a recession buster. You can trade your great technology ideas for free.
Work: I have been teaching third grade for 12 years. I utilize technology in several capacities. I use it to plan my lessons, post grades, communicate homework assignments for parents (Genesis), to motivate my students, and enhance my classroom lessons.
Home: I live in New Jersey. I am a mom of two active children. My 8 year-old son Daniel is in third grade. He plays travel soccer and loves sports. He is also involved in cub scouts (I am Den mother). My 6 year-old daughter, Abigail, is in first grade. She competes as a member of a nationally ranked dance team. She loves art and draws all the time. She is an active member of Daisy Scouts. My husband runs his own moving and storage business. My favorite free-time activities are traveling, exercise classes, and cooking. As a family, we enjoy traveling and hiking.
Ideas / Tips: One of my favorite technology lessons is my Midwest Wax Museum PowerPoint project. While studying the Midwest region, my students create an exhibit of a famous person, alive or dead from the Midwest region. Then they create a PowerPoint presentation describing attributes of the famous person and facts from their birth state. Finally, the museum opens and each learner dresses their part. Buttons are placed on the floor and when you push the button, the wax figures come to life describing who they are and where they are from. This project is both motivating and enriching to my Midwest Region Unit. Tip: this project takes a lot of time on the computer. One to two hours of lab time a week for about six weeks. The students are taught how to use PowerPoint prior to this project.
Trading: Please share any of your favorite technology lessons with me. I am interested in focusing on creating some technology lessons that enrich test prep. In my state, I spend a lot of time on preparing my learners for the NJASK (our state test). It would be nice to learn about how other teachers have utilized technology to motivate students while preparing them for state tests. Please note I have only two computers in my classroom. I can sometimes use our computer lab that has 30 computers, a Smart Board, and two printers.
Welcome! Welcome to my technology trading blog. I open this blog up to all educators. Think of this blog as a recession buster. You can trade your great technology ideas for free.
Work: I have been teaching third grade for 12 years. I utilize technology in several capacities. I use it to plan my lessons, post grades, communicate homework assignments for parents (Genesis), to motivate my students, and enhance my classroom lessons.
Home: I live in New Jersey. I am a mom of two active children. My 8 year-old son Daniel is in third grade. He plays travel soccer and loves sports. He is also involved in cub scouts (I am Den mother). My 6 year-old daughter, Abigail, is in first grade. She competes as a member of a nationally ranked dance team. She loves art and draws all the time. She is an active member of Daisy Scouts. My husband runs his own moving and storage business. My favorite free-time activities are traveling, exercise classes, and cooking. As a family, we enjoy traveling and hiking.
Ideas / Tips: One of my favorite technology lessons is my Midwest Wax Museum PowerPoint project. While studying the Midwest region, my students create an exhibit of a famous person, alive or dead from the Midwest region. Then they create a PowerPoint presentation describing attributes of the famous person and facts from their birth state. Finally, the museum opens and each learner dresses their part. Buttons are placed on the floor and when you push the button, the wax figures come to life describing who they are and where they are from. This project is both motivating and enriching to my Midwest Region Unit. Tip: this project takes a lot of time on the computer. One to two hours of lab time a week for about six weeks. The students are taught how to use PowerPoint prior to this project.
Trading: Please share any of your favorite technology lessons with me. I am interested in focusing on creating some technology lessons that enrich test prep. In my state, I spend a lot of time on preparing my learners for the NJASK (our state test). It would be nice to learn about how other teachers have utilized technology to motivate students while preparing them for state tests. Please note I have only two computers in my classroom. I can sometimes use our computer lab that has 30 computers, a Smart Board, and two printers.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
