Reflections

1. What are your favorite tools you now have in your personal technology toolbox?

I think I would have to go with delicious and photostory.

Briefly describe a particular activity that you will plan for your students using at least one of these new tools.

Oh, I am sure I could get a lot out of the kids using photostory. They'll have a chance to use their own skills and really show who they are by taking photos and videos and constructing stories, projects, etc.

2. How have you transfomed your thinking about the learning that will take place in your classroom?

I think I have allowed myself to open up more about the possibilities that are out there. The fact that this wasn't the case before has a lot to do with the sheer wealth of information, and, to be sure, it is STILL overwhelming, but, of course, the longest journey begins with the first step, right?

3. Were there any unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?

I wasn't entirely sure what this program would be about, but now that I know, I am forced to think of ways to integrate these tools into my teaching...and I really didn't expect that there would be so many tools that I either didn't know about or only had an inkling of an idea. But it is all very exciting and I am sure the kids will enjoy it.

Tool #11

The three things I want my kids to understand about digital citizenship are: information can be flawed (investigate); behavioral expectations exist; and remember human contact. I did read Vickie Davis' blog about digital citizenship, and she has quite a bit to say, and documents what she says very well, backing it up with quotes from others and validating her sources of information.

That's what I want my kids to be able to do...and me, too. How many times have we not just looked at an article via Yahoo or Google, and just went with the information (trusting it to be accurate), without delving any further into the issue to see what other news sources had to say about it...?! We all know now that getting the news is as much read and listen as it is form an opinion, because there is no telling what the slant is on the articles that we read. I would hate for my kids to do that...just get the first info. they find on a topic and call that research because they could say from whence they got the information.

Clearly then, we have to teach students to be mindful of the fact that they have to investigate various sources of information and then decide how these various sources hold up against each other. That will at least give them a more developed panorama of the whole story.

Additionally, my students need to behave appropriately while using digital media. I think I could teach this by example -- "kids, do you ever see ME using rude language with you when I send you a message?" or "so, when we go online for this assignment, should we be looking for anything outside of the sites to which we have access?"...etc. They are expected to behave within understood parameters at school, in the classroom, in the hall, in the cafeteria, on the playground, and are rewarded for appropriate behavior and punished for inappropriate behavior. They need to understand that such is the case for behavioral expectations when using digital media.

And while all of this is wonderful, I want them to also understand that it is still cool to sit in a circle and debrief a topic, an assignment, or whatever; that we don't have to spend every waking moment on the computer, or with some mobile device. I want them to understand that it's okay to give someone a love-slap on the shoulder (w/ precaution) every now and then, and that you can still sit together and read a real book, not an e-book...you know? I know the world is becoming increasingly more electronic each nanosecond, but when I look at the kids I know (say, when we go on a trip at church with the youth), they are often times so far away psycho-electronically, even though physically they are within three inches of you. That is scary...especially when you feel you are interrupting if you make small talk.

Tool #10

Well, now I am feeling a little overwhelmed. I just finished browsing through the apps available on the I-Pad/Pod Touch (by reading, of course...I don't own either of these --just a run-of-the-mill I-Pod for music...I'll need to see what else it can do aside from that -- and presently feel a little lazy about looking around to find someone who does so I can play...will handle that part of it later...) and it appears to be literally a whole new world. I recall having been observed this year by the assistant principal, and if I am not mistaken, she was using one of these doodads to record relevant information about my teaching, student learning, etc. So from then, it was clear the kinds of capabilities these hand-held devices have.

But now, having read about just a few of the apps available...for free...right now...if you have a mobile device like these, it just seems like a weird mix between "Oh, no...it's going to take me forever to learn how to handle all of this!" and "wow...it's like being a five-year-old in a candy store and everything is free!"...! For example, I think being able to plan your lessons on your Mac (ahem...both my personal computer and the district-issued one are Dells, and I have not read anything about their capabilities with regard to synching to the I-Pad/Pod Touch...I imagine it may be possible...somehow) and having access to them no matter where you go, with your mobile device in hand, would be excellent, especially when you have those inspired moments about an activity that could really drive home a lesson objective... ... ...as you sit in 4:30 p.m. Houston traffic.

I also think flashcards on the I-thingies, produced by the students themselves, who would, of course, be able to share those with other students, etc., could be a great way to help students recall facts quickly...without pencil and paper, using a medium for which they probably already express some generational preference.

I was blown away by the presentation done by Travis, the dude from Georgia, who helped start the I-school initiative http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68KgAcx_9jU , not because there are not any flaws in the argument, but because the argument was made at all...by a high school student, no less, who is extremely serious and passionate, as well as professional and articulate, about the topic. I also enjoyed reading the comments made about his presentation, because they give other perspectives and show where we are in terms of our thinking in general. Could we, in fact, get to a point where paper, pencil, books are obsolete in our classrooms? And as with all wireless technology, what do we do when the network gods are less than appeased on any particular day...?

Tool #9

So, I haven't Jinged yet, but I could certainly see how it could be helpful in the classroom. It could be a way to get a center more interactive for the kids and keep them occupied in authentic learning situations while teacher works with another group on who knows what. I could also see students jinging information while they are working on those projects they have to do (science, social studies, etc.), where they would not have to all crowd around a single computer or run copies of information in order to share...they could send the info. to each other instantly, computer to computer.

As far as Skype goes, I've never done this either (I don't have a PC camera and don't know if I want one...though I know you can Skype with audio only), since I only know of a very few people that I would want to use this with (i.e., Irfan, my friend in Pakistan). However, now that it is a distinct possibility as far as our classrooms go, I figure I could get in contact with schools that I either worked in or visited (that is, if they have a Skype account) in other countries, so that students could talk to each other, say, about how division is done is such-and-such country as opposed to here in the U.S., or something along that line. It would be really cool, I think, to be able to Skype with a school where students are learning English, so that they could speak to students hear in the U.S. to get a little practice.

I guess I'll have to get to work on these eventually...just not now. But I do see many ways these tools could be used in the classroom... ... ... and elsewhere!!

Tool # Ocho

So, if you go to the bottom of my blogspace, you will see some youtube videos regarding WWII and concentration camps, which I would like to use w/ my students while we are reading Number the Stars next school year. I like the relative ease of being able to bring up real footage at the drop of a hat (that is, if the network is feeling kind and will allow), and I like the fact that it is already stored in a place where I may easily access it. I think this kind of footage (somewhat graphic, so admin. and parents will need to view it beforehand...would not a problem) would be helpful in getting to kids to understand the futility of war, as well as the foolishness of seeing others as "other"..., in a way that leads to racial profiling, discrimination, etc., ultimately homicide in this case. This would allow them to understand a great deal of the background that the book itself does not cover, background that is needed to get a full picture and, in fact, give students some prior knowledge to which information in the book may be connected and used to infer, make generalizations, determine cause/effect relationships, etc. Makes sense, right?

Tool #7

Alrighty, so I did photostory and it was, well...another slideshow. It was cool using it and all, but it was just really similar to powerpoint...I guess I don't really see a big difference, though I guess if you added video it might be easier to work it in. At any rate, I do think it would be an excellent way for students and teachers to create a presentation about a subject area or a particular assignment...it's fun. I know it isn't really quick and easy (though it isn't that hard, either, as I saw that others had posted on the 11 Tools page), and can be pretty meticulous, but the final product is nice to see once you're done adding everything you want. I was not sure how to get it to upload as a video from my computer (nothing I was doing was working), so I uploaded it to Flickr just to get a bloody URL!! It is still processing as I write, so I guess I will try to upload later. It will probably be at the bottom of my blogspace, unless I opt for putting it under the other slideshow...I don't know...

I saw that others were having trouble uploading...but my issue was trying to get it to upload from the computer. Was there something I should have done that I didn't...?

Tool #6

A wiki allows people to work collaboratively without having a thousand meetings and without having to manage a paper trail (even electronically...data is centrally stored) to keep track of decisions that were made.
I really like the practicality of it, as well as the 7 deadly sins page on PBWorks (see link below)...

http://pbworks.com/team-collaboration

…a great way to help people understand the need to be more practical about teamwork and collaboration. I also think it is really good that everything is auditable such that any change that is made is recorded, so there is never an issue about who changed what, when, etc. This is the case w/ PBWorks, but I don’t know about other wikis.

Now, can we do this instead of having a meeting every other week in departments? Or are we going to be required to do face to face meetings regardless? It seems to me that if all can work, comment, make suggestions and edit, then that is a clear record of who is participating and who is not, so would there still be a need for weekly face to face meetings? I'm not an opponent, and I can see where you might need them occasionally, but I'm just sayin'...

I did like a lot of the ideas that I saw regarding how wikis could be used in the classroom, but again, because I am often pulling kids and working with them on a specific program, I'm not so sure how I'd fit it in. I could see its use for subject areas where I support facilitate (given there would be enough time in that classroom) and for math pull-out, but for reading the program is very specific, so I guess it would require reworking parts of the program in a way that would allow collaboration on the part of the students...where there's a will there's a way...

Tool #5 Social Bookmarking

Well, I like that now I have a space where coworkers and I can keep sites bookmarked and let those be seen so that ideas are more easily shared. I think this will allow us to be more forward-thinking in terms of what we want the kids to do and how, since social bookmarking sites allow us to see the same information, discuss it, and then share a common language with the students.

I used special education as a tag to look up a few sites, and I went to a few that deal with differentiated instruction (http://toolsfordifferentiation.pbworks.com/) and media help for all teachers (http://www.readwritethink.org/). This could easily become overwhelming, but if one puts in time on the front end to get some sites up that one visits frequently, then they are neatly organized an easily located in one place, as opposed to, say, typing in the name of a site each time you want to go to it, or messaging a friend to ask about a site that he/she thinks might help you with whatever.

I know that functionality is a big plus for Diigo and delicious, but I am still not exactly sure how I will use them in the classroom, especially since our reading program is pretty tight and doesn't allow much time for exploring outside of it. Anyone...?

Alrighty, then...

टूल #4

So, I did tool #4 (well, and also realized I could change some of the print on the blog to Hindi if I wanted...ha, ha) and it was really nice to be able to create a document and share it with my coworkers (they haven't started the tools yet, so I'm not sure when they will collaborate); it is just the preliminaries of the resource/inclusion schedule that we will be using for this coming school year. I agree with several of those who have already used this: it is wonderful to just be working with one document that we can each update as needed (especially in our case, since our schedule changes frequently, depending on the students that we see, their time allotments, new students entering sp. ed., etc.). Additionally, this same document will be shared with our administrators so that they will always have an updataed schedule that will allow them to find us with ease if they need us.

Google Reader is also a nice tool to keep everything that you want to see frequently conveniently located in one place. Unlike favorites or bookmarks, this allows you to get the updates without actually needing to go to individual sites.

I do now feel a little behind the times since these tools have been around for a while and I didn't even know, but then, knowing requires that either someone has told you or you have done some independent investigation, and neither has been the case for me regarding any of this. While doing this does eat up a good amount of my time, I can honestly say that it will be a good thing to assist teachers in the classroom and out. Google docs could allow students to edit each others' work (don't we ask them to do this anyway?), as well as allow teachers to collaborate with students in, perhaps, a more kid-friendly atmosphere, on student work. Google reader might be anotehr way to keep up with teacher and student-selected sites that host information important for the students (other blogs, content area-specific sites, etc.). I'd like to see what others are thinking with regard to how these tools/apps could be used...

Tool #3

Alrighty, then, for this I went to Animoto (had seen several slideshows but never done one), Big Huge Labs (to use the map maker; had seen maps on others' blogs and thought that would be cool to have), and Comic Strip Generator. They were all easy to use and fun, and that is just with me knocking something out really quickly. I am sure the kids would get a kick out of using these applications for things like setting up a problem of the day, monitoring where students in the class go during vacations, putting together a slideshow of a field trip or the process involved in creating something (say, a science or social studies project), etc. Again, it is just another way to get some excitement out of what we request them to do in order to further the skills they already have or maybe even have them discover something in themselves that they didn't even know was there (or at least WE didn't know...). While most of the ones I used are pretty image heavy, I am sure that they could still be used to assess skills in all of the subject areas, and for students who struggle with written assignments, these could be another way to accommodate their learning and still be able to assess what they know. I decided to post my creations directly into my blog as opposed to attaching them in this post.