Tool #11

1. What are your favorite tools you now have in your personal technology toolbox? Briefly describe a particular activity that you will plan for your students using at least one of these new tools.
I would say that I really enjoyed learning all of these tools and being forced to learn them. Because I liked so many of these new tools, I will say that my very favorite one is my blog. I say this because I have included hyperlinks from my blog and I can go back and use this to help me find my favorites quickly and I can reread what I like about them.
2. How have you transformed your thinking about the learning that will take place in your classroom? How has your vision for your classroom changed? Are you going to need to make any changes to your classroom to accommodate the 21st Century learner?
I am ready to challenge myself by learning new things along with my students. I am planning to use much more technology in the classroom and will work this technology into workstations so that more students can be working on the same or different things as needed. I plan to use Menus in the classroom and incorporate technology; ipads, ipods, flip cameras, etc... I envisoin students working in small groups on the floor or in isolation if needed to help guide their learning.
3. Were there any unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
I found this one much easier than the 23 Things. This might have been the case because I have simply used a lot of these programs and can sail through them quicker. I am not afraid of the unknown and know I can probably ask students for help as well as my colleges since they have also completed or will have completed these same tools. Now, I am off to explore more.

Tool #10

I want to make sure that my students understand how to use digital citizenship, copyright laws, and appropriate online behavior. I will use the Power to Learn Grant as a resouce to help me find sites to teach this. I will use http://www.brainpop.com/, Cyberethics for Kids and http://www.cyberbee.com/copyrt.html as well as many more to aid in teaching my students the importance of being a good digital citizen. I am very familiar with Brainpop and know that will be my first site to use.
At the start of the year I will have students listen to and interact with Brianpop. We will do a short new lesson or review of an important lesson every day that we plan to use technology for research and communicating with others through the internet.
Parents will hear new information either through our grade level newsletters or through their students when I encourage them to share what we have learned. I want students to know the importance of digit good citizenship so they can be respectful to others and to themselves. This is a new world of technology and I will be learning right along with them.

Tool #9

It is very important to tie technology with the objective in order to keep students enthusiastic and focused on the learning. It is visual and can be very interactive which always supports learning.
We should always hold students accountable for work in workstations otherwise students may not care about their learning and will possibly not follow all of the directions and therefore not learn the objective.
Sites visited
Learning Games for Kids: This site was easy and might be something used for students who need more review. Since there are printables students can be held accountable by turning in these pages. I don't necessarily like this idea but understand that this could be helpful to some students who are struggling.
TES Board: This site seems more challenging and can aid in encouraging deeper thinking for those who are ready for this. Students can blog their findings to help in holding them accountable.
Study Ladder: This is very similiar to a program we use now and can help if you know exactly what you need the students to work on. This one is very overwhelming to the eyes but can be useful when looking for specifics. Again students can blog or write in Wiki their reflections in order to hold them accountable.
I might use the first 2 listed as stations where the kids can look for items to work on or all three if I have specific areas for them to complete while in stations. They might work in pairs or with individually.

Apps. found and liked:
Dictionary: During reading groups students could use this app. to help look up unfamiliar words so students can continue reading and checking for meaning without help from others (meaning teacher)
Discovery Channel: This one is always good when wanting to learn more about specific topics, history or people.
Free Word Warp: This has fun ways to practice spelling and find words within words. This can be during word work time and they have finished assigned lessons.
On This Day: Is an app that kids who LOVE their birthday and want to know the history of this special day. Then they could share tis new foud information on blogs, wikis and emails to friends.

Having this technology in the class will help kids continue to learn while the teacher is working with other students. This will also help kids stay ahead of the technology curve.

Tool #8

1. I learned a few great things from viewing the tutorials. I love that we will have the advantage to have up to 11 pages of apps. available. I love that we will have our own charging station instead only being able to charge a little at a time or in a different location. I am excited that the Dells will be able to take videos and still shots and it looked easy.
2. Ed Tech helps me find apps., sites, and Flipcharts. I look foward to using this resource to aid in workstations and allowing students to complete research.

Tool #7

After examining Class2class- math projects students can answer a survey question and get data in an organized fashion. Then using the same survey other classes can answer the same question. Then students can compare information. They will get practice in answering math vocabulary ans skills. An example was to use M&Ms with students to count out colors of candies. After all classes completed their survey they could start answering the objective of likely, less likey, more likey, certain, impossible chances of finding sertain colors in their bag and how the company distributes candies into bags. I would use this plan later in the year when probability is assigned in our curriculum. Materials for this would be graph paper, markers or colored pencils, and computer to log information.
The plan would be to give each student a small bag of M&Ms and tally each color. Chart on graph paper and include findings in the Class2class and compare information with other 3rd grade classrooms.
There are many times that we have toured classrooms to find answers to surveys for individual students. This would save in doing this and students would love the new technology.

Tool #6

Using Poll Everywhere you can ask for a poll to get to know your students' preference of book genres. I was thinking I could use this polling system before a book fair and then use this new information to select books to purchase for the classroom library.
I also plan to use Edmodo to ask questions for reading groups. I can state a different question for different group and then allow them to post their answers or views.

Tool #5

I used the trading card from www.Bighugelabs.com and the wordle tools. I think that these are great ways to assess students on what they learned about a particular topic. I played with the animoto as well. My son made a father's day animoto, which was a big hit. This could easily be made into another way to assess their learning. It is also a fun easy way to grade instead of constant pencil paper assignments. The wordle could be used as a fun way to show a table of contents. Or even a checklist for students as a fun different rubric rather than the same old boring style used for so many other lessons.

Tool #4

Wow! This tool was so much easier for me than tool 3 (and for me tool 3 1/2).
The way I hope to use this is bascially the way we used Sweden and find new and different documents that my team is using and we can edit these to best fit our new needs. I can share tests and surveys with my students to answer on line all at once in the computer labs or in workstations on the computer.
This tool is really easy and makes me feel safe. I like how we can share this with only certain people and not everyone needs to view it.

Tool #3 1/2

I am trying hard to be patient with this. I am trying to post this 2nd video from Youtube. It has been very trying.

I have visited both Youtube and Discovery Education as well as Brain Pop. I love all of these and wanted to try Youtube only because I know that the district does not allow access easily to this and I wanted to see if I can download it into my postings.

I posted both videos from youtube and they are there whether they are on tool 3 or tool 3 1/2.

I realize that I need to watch for any copy right issues and am worried that since I have opened my blog for anyone to read and comment on does that mean I can no longer use the education clause of allowing copy righted videos and pictures to be viewed by students?

I would love to know the answer to this. If you are reading this and know this answer, please educate me.

I went to the Picasa site, and it was very easy to use. However, I wasn't able to find the remix tool. My students usually use the google images and flickr for pictures. My students can use Picasa while doing research and adding images to their research. This reseach could be landforms, famous Americans, holidays, timelines, etc...

I can't wait to introduce this to my class.

Tool #3

I am only able to include one video which is very , very frustrating to me when everyone else is able to do what is requested so smoothly. My plan is to add another tool 3 posting but tool 3 1/2 with the additional video. I am hoping this will help and I will include all other comments on that posting. Wish me luck!

Tool #2

Adding websites onto the reader seems like a great way to keep updated with what is going on in the areas that I am interested. I hope to read this and add new sites as needed. I will have it send me emails to help me get into the habit of opening this up and reading it.
3rd Grade Social Network Using this social network will help me gain new ideas for teaching and better yet this will be from other 3rd grade teachers. I enjoy sharing my thoughts anywhere and with anyone. However, I think that voicing my comments online for anyone to read is a bit scarier. I think I will be more restrained than I would be with a face to face meeting. I don't mind trying this and using it as long as I can learn something new.

Tool #1

This is just a fun way to earn my 11 Tools hours. I love playing around with all of these gadgets. I am glad I was able to work along side my team otherwise I feel I would have met some challenges , but because we worked together we were able to work through this quite smoothly. Thanks team!