Ode To Joy

After 11 tools Reflections = )

After doing the 11 tools
1. My favorite tools in my personal technology toolbox are: flikr, wordle, delicious, skype, animoto, photostory, all the google extras like docs and play, the powerful force of the wikis, ooo and i really like blinkx makes finding videos easy, all the apps and podcasts.
my favs are anythign with videos and pictures.
One particular activity that I am planning to ensure my students to use these new tools will be to use them during centers: I plan to have one center for writting about science/math using the i-pod touch app(Astronomy pics [science and math]) 5 sentences/paragraph about the pic, another center will have the students creating a video story using animoto/photostory/i-movie about a specific topic, place value in math or sun shadows in science. The other centers are still in process =).
2. I have transfomed my thinking about the learning that will take place in your classroom by realizing that I am but a facilitator in my classroom, and I must demonstrate through my actions and communication, and my daily work,routine and structure what I expect of my students. And that I must teach them to have doubt, investigate and then create a logical conclusion.
3. There any a lot of unexpected outcomes that surprised me: many times I think I know it already especially when it comes to technology, and I was very guarded in discovering the different tools that are available. I liked all of them (i thought i wouldn't need them) and think the tools have different aspects that appeal to all kinds of learners.

I know i will be back to blogg some more, bye

Tool #11 Digital Citizenship

I am so glad this is the last tool, because it is the one I feel I will be looking at first.

Three main objectives I will be teaching my students are:

1-digital access 2. digital etiquette 3. digital security

I am going to plan a couple of lessons that will focus on those and then continue moniotring students comprehension through the school year. One lesson will be explaing (using technology and examples and the other will be using hands on and group work about different situations. After the two lessons, I will have the students go on PBS to get their Internet Driver License (the link is below the wordle). I found all the websites on the main blog to be very helpful and have selected a few that I liked and had no trouble reading here are the links to those:

TEA - Internet Safety - Educators Digital Citizenship go to resources, download useable files

PBS Internet License

Tool# 10 Mobile Tech and Apps

There are plenty of free educational apps and extras, these are a few i have:
Pop Math lite, Arithmetic-Astronomy Pictures, Nasa App, Space Images -Lit2go (podcasts)-Are you smarter than a 5ht grader, brain trainer and brain pop.
these are pretty cool apps among many cool apps, I just got to play a little and hopefully will get a chance to practice some more on them.

WOW!!! There is more stuff than apps, like pod casts, note writing, video streaming etc. There are many podcast that could be subscribed to that are free and updated..
Go to I-tunes U -->Teaching Education -->k-12-->Continuity of learning then pick your subject

I will be using mobile tech, i-pod, apps and other tech, through warm-ups, centers, group work and differentiation. (the touch will be used daily during lessons). I plan to use the apps for different settings and demonstrate to the students how technology is applicable in various situations and also how important using traditional tools, like paper and pencil are still important, = )

Tool#9 Instant Communicating-video

I think screencasting will help our students communicate their instant thoughts using their screen shots and creating videos with voice and text using Jing. this kind of reminds me of photostory, so it was pretty easy.

I think communicating via the internet through skype is pretty cool, and i think this will enable our students to communicate from school or home, with people worldwide!!
I created a skype account, I personally like the option of the students and their families having the availability of free communication, if they have a laptop- they could be able to access free internet in many places!! With skype the student may be working on homework, have question, see that I am on skype, and ask the question, = ). Immediate feedback. i love it!

If anyone creates askype account look me up and we can have a video conversation or at least a voice conversation through skype.

Place Value by Sing and Groove

This video is also linked on the side bar in math video links.

Tool #8 Video Resources

1. I selected two videos (specifically - the hulu science and the placevalue math videos) that will be useful resources in my classroom. I decided to create a widget with links to the blogs- so one widget is called science video links and the other is called math video links. I didn't want to add it to my blog posting.
2. Videos are very important for us to have in the classroom, everyday we are competing with the media to educate our students and it is very exciting for me to be able to let the student know that they will be able to access the media in my classroom. The science video I chose from hulu is a video that comes straight from t.v. National Geographic http://www.hulu.com/national-geographic-environment?c=Green; I found the math video using http://www.blinkx.com/, a search engine for videos, the video comes directly from you tube- http://www.youtube.com/. The links for the videos are on the side. please check them out!!.

3. Science Video- Naked Science: Ice Age Cycles Aired 5/30/2009 rated: TV PG

Math Video- Place Value by Sing and Groove

Tool #7 Digital Storytelling

I use this journal in my class and will have my students create one and use it during the first semester of year 2010-2011.

I really like podcastin and creating videos, I prefer to use my own photos because there are no copyright issues, but we can also flickr http://www.flickr.com/ . The music in my video is courtesy of incomtech --> http://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/ and you should try freeplaymusic also @ http://freeplaymusic.com/index.php. The music places are royalty free and flickr is CC friendly.

I use digital story telling in my classrooms all the time, some times i make them to facilitate comprehension of a concept, and sometimes my students create them to demonstrate the knowledge, comprehension and their point of view on a topic or task!!! I love videos and podcasts!!!!

Tool #6 Wikis

What is a wiki? thats the first idea that popped into my head; so i needed a definition. It is a website to create and edit interlinked web pages HUH? what is that again--> so it is a place where we could create and edit collaborated work and websites. and wiki is a synonym for quick, so its a quick link = ).

So people can add and modify information and the admin of the site will check the information. Sometimes the information is inaccurate, but it is a cool way to share knowledge and opinions. Of course there should be rules, and this is where informing our students of the unsaid rules, ethics and responsibilities that come with these great tools.

I envision using wiki as a classroom link to unlimited information; where students can share their ideas, questions and doubts and they could also investigate those and find proof of their thoughts.
Everyone will be able to view the wiki. Only members will be able to edit it and students, parents, staff and invited guests will be able to join.
Still a little doubts on creating one due to the time needed for moderating and updating.

I would like to collaborate with my new team and check if we could have one for all of us, and in turn we could rotate the administration of the website.

Tool #5 Social Bookmarking

I browsed through delicious and diigi; I really liked delicious (given that i already have a yahoo account), therefore I created a bookmarking account there. I added the new toolbar and tag button to my toolbar for easy access,I do think this makes bookmarking easier. I always bookmark websites and I forget why i bookmarked them, this makes it easier for me to categorize the sites with games for my students and the sites with information for myself. It has a small check-box field if you don't want to share the site just incase you find something useful for yourself but may not apply to others.
I found sites that I liked, about math [the bookmarks are in my delicious account if you would like to check them out] and science. I bookmarked and tagged them. I have a link to my social bookmarks on delcicious on the right side for easy access. I think social bookmarking will be very useful for students, when they visit my bolg they can easily access the indicated website or choose one that ma fit the requirements using the tags!!

Tool #4

I had a little trouble with tool #4, specifically with google docs http://docs.google.com/ . Only because it is difficult to share if with out peoples e-mail, but once we have that down everything should be ok, =). I also like google reader it makes reading google info easier, like blogs that I am following; and I liked google reader play so much i added a link on my blog!!! check it out on the left, its a little random, but its cool, =).

Tool #3

First of all I found this pretty elaborate, =). I have used other image enhancers and i found these quiet difficult, I do although recall using HTML graphics when using myspace that that was a blast from the past.
As an image enhancer I used Big Huge labs, it was the easiest to manipulate the pictures (once you have them); With this I created the robots mosaic pic (its on the leftside in a widget). I chose my theme to be about robots since i love robots! a note i wanted to add was that we need to make sure we have a theme when lookig for pictures, that will lessen the time and also when using the pictures, I prefer to use the Attribution Non commercial share alike license. It is less restrictive on the user.

I also used animoto, to create a couple of videos and am seriously considering an upgrade from the free account. The theme on the videos where academic, one being math and the other science. These videos are located at the bottom of my blog, just scroll down to see them)

These three are educational eye candy for the students, the robots one gives the child insight on the teachers personality, and videos are short and sweet and educational. Something the students could look at before the lesson.

I will continue working on the word puzzels i want to add a few of those.

Mel tool #2

1. What are your thoughts about building an online education community and participating in a PLN?

I think building an online education community is accessible to SBISD teachers is pretty cool. I think it is very important for us (teachers) to learn how to use tools that our students will be using, if they aren't already, in their future education and careers. I also think participating in a PLN is super exciting, because it gives us time to observe other teachers thoughts, ideas and so much information we can provide each other and it provides us the opportunity to comment about their thoughts, feel better about our insecurities through observation and support each other through the comments.

2. What point stood out to you from the commenting advices?
Like Mrs. Green,"the lurker", lol. I felt like OMG thats meeee!!! I like to look at peoples profiles and i never comment, well sometimes I do, but very little. I will work on changing that part, because we all love comments =).

3. What five blogs did you select for your comments?
So far I have just selected Mrs. Green, because I was just lurking ; ]
and lurking : \... and that is why this is taking me so long. I will be back to comment on this last question.

Tool #1

This is my first blog, it is pretty easy to create, i will really enjoy when my next year students create their blogs and avatars!!!!

This year is about to end, =(, I will miss my students and hope they remember me!! I know they will be successfull.

Next school year i will take upon a new journey 4th grade = O. A bit nervous and anxious, hope I don't fall on the first day of class, =).

hopefully we will be blogging daily of learning!!!!

blog 2u later!!!!