Reflections

I enjoy so much working with technology! It makes your job easier, it keeps you organized, and give you the opportunity to be updated in any topic. In my job, I have seen that students learn more motivated when you let them use web tools. I will continue using technology in my classroom and see it transformed in a 21st century learning center. The kids will develop the necessary skills that would support them to face the coming challenges. We can use the video demonstrations and samples that we used to help them create their own activities to get knowledge and practice in the skills involved.
I will continue using the video resources and start teaching Wikis, Image Generators and Digital storytelling. I am also very excited because we will have iTouch devices in our classrooms.
This was a great experience! The information was integrated and complete to move on in a sequential way.

Tool # 11 Digital Citizenship

As educators we should have a solid foundation to evaluate how our students are using technology and which could be the appropiate process to teach them how to use it. We should prepare our students how to:

1. Face a world full of technology and find the adequate material for their age and needs.
2. Find alternative activities and DO NOT abuse technology.
3. Take care of theirselves when sign up for free email address or applications, post pictures, or buy merchandise.

Tool # 10 Mobile technology and Apps

I don't have one of these devices but I my son has one I have played with. They are very useful to keep any professional organized; also to keep important information, email or pictures on hand.
In class, students can use these applications while working in workstations, projects or out of the classroom. It is a great way to develop fine motor skills, learn to search through Internet, and find appropiate activities for their level and needs.

Tool # 9 Jing and Skype

I have been thinking how to improve some processes in the classroom by using Jing. It could be useful in a Character Ed. class to refresh procedures and routines. In a Science class when we need to learn or review Lab procedures, Lab tools or for set up experiments. Also, in Math when students are learning multiplication or division with more than one-digit, we could make a video to go over and over to become masters.

Since my family and a lot of friends live in Colombia, I have been using Skype to communicate with them. It is an easy and cheapest way to talk and see them. In our classrooms, we could use it to interview people related with the topic or unit we would be developing. Even in a Career day we could try it!

Tool # 8 Video Resources

This was really fun!
I enjoyed exploring different videos at Google and SchoolTube. I have continued adding to my blog examples with Landforms resources visualizing my students doing tematic units by using technology tools. I also downloaded a video and linked another one to the post. Students could download it by themselves. Then they could follow the steps from the video to build a landform (mountain). Since it is on the video students could replay any time they would need to complete the project.

http://www.schooltube.com/video/dc96115b2277432998e0/Mountains

Tool # 7 Digital Storytelling

I loved creating this part. I could not add sound though. My microphone was not working well.

My students will enjoy it because they would investigate; then, create their own images and add labels, effects, sounds, or music. It is applicable to any topic or subject.

Tool # 6 Wikis

I would like to use Wikis in my classroom because we could create and edit any paper in community. My students might use wikis to create stories or Math problems where each student could add a word or sentence. They also could make comments about books or poems. I found a link to get free wikis for K-12 students (PBWorks).

I watched an interesting example about students clubs at Google sites. We could think about using them for afterschool programs.

At the faculty level, it is very useful for hosting and sharing information like team meetings, roadmaping or lesson plans.

Tool # 5 Tagging

I used Diigo today to find educational websites. The tags I used were: learning, special ed., storybooks. I like how we can organize info according with our interests and needs. Also, we could investigate while reading online. I practiced highlighting different articles.

I located 2 interesting websites today:

http://blog.learningtoday.com
http://pockettales.com

We could use social boomarking by searching for a Science or Social studies project, make comments and highlight important information for future references.

Tool # 4 Google Tools

Our classrooms and staff will benefit from these google tools in a successful way.

With Google docs we could create, access, and share info from letters to projects at any time and in one place.

Google reader keeps us updated in the last feeds and blogs without spending time searching on the webs or blogs.

Until now, I had never explored the different services that Google offers and I like it very much.

Tool # 3 Generating our own images

I love these tools very much!

I was imaging my students choosing their own characters, pictures, sounds, words to represent or review what they have learned.

Visuals are so important to understand and remember information that I will be using it in any topic.

Tool # 2 E-learning and PLN

Building an online education community and participating in a PLN is an effective way to educate individuals according with their interests, needs and pace but also a wonderful resource to learn through interactive activities, practice, review, and assess as required. By using this tool we also could reduce costs and being a paperless environment.

This e-learning also let us commenting as a powerful behavior to share points of view and learn from each other.

I made comments on the following blogs:

* Speedlimit20
* Joy into teaching
* Moni-K`s musings
* Cool Cat Teacher

Good start! Tool #1

I have been enjoying this training so far!

I am pretty sure our students will get fun doing these blogs but of course, learning at the same time. Right now they born ready for the technology and as teachers, we are facilitators to introduce, motivate and maintain them active and thinking.

At the beginning, this process was a little slow because you would need to navigate through different websites, watch some videos, and read information in other blogs but at the end you will be happy with the product. At the university, I used to work with similar blogs and it keeps you alert and updated.

I realized that by using this tool our students will be developing more higher order thinking skills: they will design, create, assess, critique, justify and debate.

As a resource teacher, I would incorporate these blogs into Book reviews, Social Studies discussions, and Science projects. Also, it is a good way to work in grammar structure and free or prompted writings.