Final Thoughts

     Taking a graduate course in Technology in Education has been an extraordinary adventure for me.  It has opened my eyes and mind immensely in regards to technology use itself, as well as to the enormous benefits it can have on students and their learning.
     I will admit, at the start of the course I was pretty leery about utilizing technology in the classroom.  I realize now that my issues with implementing technology in the classroom came from my own lack of understanding and overall knowledge of technology tools.  Now as the course is coming to a close, I am amazed at how much I have learned, which leads to a much higher confidence level in regards to utilizing technology with students.  In fact, I now am excited about implementing technology in the classroom.
     I realize now that technology is fun, not scary.  I feel that if it is appropriately implemented with in the curriculum, students will also find it fun, and as I have stated before, who does not want to have fun while in school.  I feel now that technology livens up the atmosphere and opens up learning doors to both educators and students.
     In regards to my immediate use of technology, I am very about my new found knowledge of Prezi for presentations.  As I continue through my graduate courses, I feel that I will be utilizing it for any and all presentations that I have to create.  I find Prezi to be much more stimulating then plain old power point.  Overall I am quite pleased with all the new, fun, and interesting knowledge I have gained from taking a course in Technology in Education.  I feel that with all my new knowledge and confidence, my classroom will be a greater learning environment.

Glogster--Technology Tool

    
     For my graduate Technology in Education course, I was asked to plan a classroom lesson/project utilizing technology web 2.0 tools.  In the following blog, I will discuss my lesson which utilizes the technology 2.0 tool Glogster.  I will discuss my lesson/project idea, my personal views on using the web 2.0 tool Glogster, and provide an example of a glogster that I have created.

Glogster

 

 

      I chose to create a create a classroom glogster lesson/project for an elementary classroom ( fifth-sixth grade).  I thought it would be fun for students to create an "All About Me" glog.This would most likely be a project that I would implement in the classroom towards the beginning of the school year.  In order to model for the students how to create a glogster, we would create one as a class.  During the students creation of their own glogsters, I would allow for them to be as creative as they wanted to be.  Its their personal glogster, therefore I feel it should look however they want it to look.  This is something I want the kids to take pride in, take ownership of, and be proud to display.  As the students will be presenting their glogsters to the class, I would inform them that  whatever they do put on it should be able to be viewed by everyone.

 

     While creating my own glogster, I did enjoy navigating around the site--glogster.com.  I felt the site was very user friendly.  It was fairly easy to utilize the different glogster options, especially after taking some time and testing out how things worked on the site.  i was very impressed with how easy it was to upload and embed a video onto the glogster.  I definitely feel that glogster is a web 2.0 tool that I will implement into my classroom curriculum.  it is pretty fun to create a glog, and I feel that students will enjoy making them.  Further, the end product looks pretty cool.

 

     I do work with special ed. students, so my students would probably require a lot of teacher assistance in creating a glog, but I am certain that they would enjoy the process none the less.  For all students, glogsters provide another very cool way to present information.  It is a far cry from reading a report or creating a power point, but as long as any required information is present we as educators should allow students the freedom to present however they desire.  By allowing students this simple freedom, we are creating a stronger, healthier learning environment.  We are creating an environment where students can find fun in learning.  I feel that is what it is all about.  I don't know about you, but I want my students who are in school for 6.5 hours a day, five days a week to enjoy doing their work.

 

Please take a look at a Glogster that I have created!

http://www.glogster.com/beth123456789/resume-glog-by-beth123456789/g-6l5gpnpkr7sva81s83h8ea0

Yodio--Technology Tool

     For my graduate Technology in Education course, I was asked to pick a web 2.0 tool and create a lesson/project utilizing the tool.   In the following blog I will discuss a lesson/project utilizing the web 2.0 tool Yodio, as well as provide a Yodio example for your viewing.

Yodio



     For my Yodio lesson/project, I thought it would be fun for students to utilize the technology tool in order to present a book report.  Students would simply choose a book at their current reading level and discuss it using Yodio.  The students would then present their yodio to the class.  I feel that using Yodio is a great choice for students who feel intimidated or nervous about speaking in front of the class.  For some students, public speaking causes a great deal of stress and anxiety.  I feel as educators we need to be cognizant of this and provide other options for students.  In my opinion, Yodio is a great option.  The student still will have to complete the book report, and they still have to present it to the class.  The only difference is they are able to record it in a more comfortable environment without feeling intimidated.  I feel this will only lead to a much BETTER presentation for the student.  In regards to students who do not have a problem with public speaking, yodio will provide a different kind of avenue to take with presentations.
    
     In regards to how user friendly I feel Yodio is--I had difficulty with it at first..  For me, Yodio was a bit difficult to really get figured out.  Even after I watched the provided tutorials I had difficulty with the tool.  I imagine if I had trouble with the tool, students may also find it difficult to use.  I do feel using yodio would benefit many students, but I am not quite satisfied with the yodio site yet.  You can bet I will keep trying to figure it out.
Please check out my Yodio below.



Blabberize--Technology Tool

     For my graduate Technology in Education course, I was asked to plan a classroom lesson/project utilizing a web 2.0 tool.  In the following blog, I will discuss my lesson which utilizes the web 2.0 tool Blabberize.  I will also provide an example of the blabber I have created to go along with my lesson.  In conclusion, I will provide a brief discussion regarding my views on utilizing Blabberize within the classroom. 

Blabberize

 

 

     I chose to create a classroom lesson utilizing the technology tool Blabberize.  blabberize can be implemented into many different classroom curriculum's.  For my lesson, I would use Blabberize in an elementary science curriculum when discussing animal habitats.  After discussing animal habitats with the students in class, I would ask the students to create a blabber as an end of the unit project.  The students would choose an animal (any that they want is truly fine), and create a blabber utilizing their animal choice.  For the blabber, the students would be asked to describe the habitat the animal typically lives in.  The students would be encouraged to provide any additional information that they found interesting, either about the animal itself or the habitat.  For example the students could provide information on the characteristics of the animal, they could provide information on the daily life of the animal, or they could provide information regarding other animal species that may be found in the habitat.  The students would then be asked to present their blabbers to the class.

    

      I feel that using Blabberize is a super fun way for students to present information that they have learned.  In my opinion you can not help but have a good time when creating a blabber.  During my experience of making a blabber, I was truly giggling the whole time I was creating it.  It just made me laugh, and who doesn't want to laugh when doing a class project!  Another upside of having students utilize Blabberize is it is a super easy technology tool to use.  It literally takes minutes to create a blabber.  There are just a few simple steps involved in a blabber creation; you download a picture to use, you form a mouth that will open and close, you then pick a voice recording option, last you record your voice which is very simple to do--that is it, your done.  The web 2.0 tool Blabberize is an extremely user friendly web tool.  I am confident that any one who engages in making a blabber will enjoy doing it, I am further confident that they will be hooked on the tool.  I feel that classrooms of all grade levels would enjoy creating blabbers for class projects.  The tool is free of charge, however you do need to have a user name and password to create a blabber.  Please take a look at the blabber I have created, your sure to giggle!

     

 

 



Wordle--Technology Tool

     For my graduate Technology in Education course, I was asked to pick a web 2.0 tool and create a lesson/ project utilizing the tool.  In the following blog I will explain the web 2.0 tool Wordle.  I would like to note that my Wordle lesson and project was created for and implemented into the curriculum of a second--fourth grade ED/BD classroom.  I hope you enjoy learning about the Wordle lesson that I have created.  Further, I hope it sparks an interest within you to try out the web 2.0 tool yourself (if you are not already familiar with it).

    Wordle

 

    In the classroom in which I work, we do a lot of team building activities.  In fact we try to implement classroom team building activities at least once into our daily routine.  Wordle proved to be an amazing tool to use not only for a classroom team building activity, but also to put a positive spin on keyboard typing.  The students in my classroom typically groan about typing, however with this activity they were excited and could not wait to type up their individual wordle's.

     For the wordle team building activity, each student should first write their name on a piece of paper.  The name sheets should then be circulated around the classroom.  Each student should write at least one (more if they want), nice, encouraging words or phrases about the other students on the papers.  For assistance, the teachers can write a word bank on the board for the students to look to for ideas to write down.  Teachers also should circulate around the room ensuring all name sheets make it around the class of students, teachers also can aid students in thinking of words or statements to write if students feel stumped.  The students should also be made aware that they can repeat words or phrases that other students may have already written down on the name paper.

    Once all the name sheets have completely circulated around the room, each student should be given their personal name sheet.  I have to say that when I did this activity with students in my class, they  were all in their glory when they saw all the nice encouraging words and phrases their peers had wrote about them!  The next step of the project is to actually have the students create their personal wordle.  In order for the students to create their wordle, teachers should log the students onto wordle.net.  The students first start by typing in their name.  Students should be encouraged to type in their name 8 to 10 times, this will ensure their name appears nice and big on their personal wordle.  Students then will start typing in all the words and phrases that peers wrote down about them.  When students complete this step, they should be encouraged to play around with their wordle until they are 100% happy with the way it looks.  In order to do this, teachers can assist the students in going through the wordle tools.  For example, students can change the colors of their wordle, students can change the font style and size, students can also change how the words are arranged on the paper.  Again during creation of the wordle, teacher assistance may very well be required.  I feel it really all depends on the age, grade, and functioning level of the students.  For my class of students, teacher assistance was required, but it had nothing to do with the technology tool itself.  Assistance was required to keep the students from straying onto other pages or clicking on things too many times, etc.  Once all wordles are completed, teachers can display them around the classroom. 

   

    I am very pleased with how well utilizing wordle in my classroom went.  It proved to be a very user friendly, fun, engaging technology tool.  As I have previously stated, I used Wordle in a second--fourth grade ED/BD classroom for a team building activity, however I can see myself utilizing Wordle in classrooms of all grade levels as well as all ability levels. Wordle is definitely a tool I will be implementing into classroom curriculum.  The bottom line is, Wordle is just a really fun tool.
Please see the attachment for a Wordle example.



http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/5967447/J

PLN(Twitter Finds) Outdoor Classroom

 Thomas Simpson's Outdoor Classroom

 

  https://twitter.com/ehayden350

     Through following people and organizations on Twitter, I have come across a wealth of new knowledge and information.  However, one teacher and a school grabbed my attention so much that I felt I needed to share his story.
     Thomas Simpson of Carter High School in Tennessee, succeeded in bringing two of my personal passions in life together; education and the outdoors.  Thomas Simpson succeeded in doing this by a classroom learning strategy that I strongly stand by in my educational beliefs, and that is collaborative projects.  Let me now share with you his accomplishment, and then I will discuss why his story means so much to me.
     Thomas Simpson of Carter High School, located in Knoxville, TN, engaged his classroom of students in a classwide project of developing on paper an outdoor classroom.  Thomas was extreamly pleased with the work results that his students produced, as a result he decided to take the classroom project even further.  Thomas engaged the ENTIRE school to take part in making the outdoor classroom a reality.  Through schoolwide effort and emense teamwork, the outdoor classroom was built in only six months.  The oudoor classroom consists of trees, plants, flowers, brick paths, trails, and a stage area for classroom instruction that is equipped with seating for a full class of students.  It is stated that the outdoor classroom is a point of pride for the whole school, as well as a space that celebrates both the environment and the innovation of team work.  The outdoor classroom is now a place to go and learn in a healthy environment. Please visit the following link to view photographs, and gain further information in regards to Thomas Simpsons schoolwide Outdoor Classroom initiative.  www.behance.net/gallery/Carter-High-School-Outdoor-Classroom/4857609
     Thomas Simpson's classroom project turned schoolwide project is inspirational to me because I feel all to often educators in classrooms of all grade levels rely heavily on paper and pencil worksheets and tests in order to assess their students achievement.  If we think about it, its the well known "go to" method in order to measure a students understanding of content.  Yes, paper/pencil worksheets, tests and independent work may need to be utilized in classrooms.  However, I feel that if educators are going to truly instill within students the desire and motivation to learn, it is imparitive that our classrooms are engaging.  Students need to be activly involved with each other, their educators, and the wide world around them.  In other words, educators need to think more about altering the course of their classroom assignments from paper and pencil tasks into more engaging tasks that involve group effort.  Educators need to look towards classroom activities and tasks that seek to inspire and motivate students.  We need to look towards ways to keep the students stimulated so they do not become bored and turned off from school.  Further, with collaborative projects educators become more of a mentour and a guide to their students, rather than a lecturer.  Students and teachers face the challenges they come across together, and as a result they learn together.
     In an effort to remedy students bordom with school, I strongly feel that educators need to incorporate more collaborative projects within their curriculums.  By working with one another on projects that produce sustainable results, everyone can be deemed successful at the projects conclusion.  Everyone can feel a sence of self-worth and pride.  Everyone can feel a part of the greater whole.  Most important, everyone can gain a wealth of knowledge that reaches far beyond simply filling in blanks on a piece of paper.  I feel this is the case because when students work together collaboratively, they feel a stronger motivation to do their part in an effort to contribute to their projects success.
     I feel that what Thomas Simpson accomplished with his class of students and essentially the entire school, is truly amazing.  Engaging the whole class in a project is one thing, but to bring the whole school together in an effort to produce an entierly new learning environment goes well above and beyond.  Its a challenging task that he was not afraid to embark upon, nor were the students for that matter.  I can imagine that if one were to talk with any one of the students at Carter High School, they would say that they gained more knowledge from helping create the outdoor classroom then they ever could sitting and filling in worksheets or listening to class lectures.  I feel teachers often forget that students really need to learn how to work with one another, further they need to learn how to utilize resources that are available to them outside of school.  Yes, it is imparative that students get instruction in reading, writing, math, etc.  However, as educators of the individuals who are the worlds future, lets not forget to guide them and educate them on outside expierences also.  Lets not forget to guide them in learning how to locate, utilize, and essentially understand resources of everyday life.  Further, lets not forget to help strengthen their skills in regards to getting along and working with others for the greater whole.  I feel that Thomas Simpson was successful in strenghtening these skills within every student at Carter High School.  Due to his vision, students now have a serene outdoor environment to learn in.  Further, they have place to take pride in, as they are the ones who helped create and bring the outdoor classroom to life.
    

    

A digital story about my back yard