First up, Goldilocks and the Three Bears lesson plans for 1st and 2nd graders is really nice for those group of kids. At that age, they would really love to go up and use the pen to fill in the words, letters and dragging words. It's very cute-it is a great storytelling tool and would just bring a lot of conversation and a positive attitude in the class.
Teacher Notes
Subject: Language arts
Topic: Writing
Title: Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Grade(s): 1 and 2
Cross-curricular link(s): Nursery rhymes
Intended learning outcome(s)
Select appropriate words to complete a sentence
Select appropriate sentences to fit the situation
Next, Haiku Poems lesson plan directed towards 2-7 graders. The lesson reminds me of an interactive powerpoint. That's not an insult, I'm glad that it is so structured and interactive. The important information is on every other slide and then you can pass the pen to a student and have them answer the question in front of everyone. I like it, but of course if I were to use this-I would make it look more attractive. That's just me-I like personalizing it.
Teacher Notes
Subject: Langauge arts
Topic: Poetry
Title: Haiku Poems
Grade(s): 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7
Cross-curricular link(s): Health
Intended learning outcome(s)
To introduce students to the Haiku poem
To help students gain an understanding of the origin of Haiku poems
To provide students the structure to create their own poems
Finally, Factors and Multiples for 4-6 grade. It looks very professional-it definitely has an appeal to it that reminds me of traditional work sheets. Except since the material is on the board, everyone can be on task at the same thing instead of 'following along' in which kids would be a bit distracted.
Lesson Notes
Match
The Number System
After viewing so many lesson plans, I am inspired to make my own lesson plans! I have seen what is effective (lots of interaction and easy to follow=fun lesson plan) and what is ineffective (just some powerpoint-like slides with rules and things to memorize).
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
21st Century School Model and Technology
These two articles read like manuals that detailed what they want 21st century school models to look like and how technology was implemented in a real middle school. I finally understand where the term digital immigrant and digital native come from (the first article) and how they see the 21st century class in the future catering more to multiple learning styles.
The second article was great in finding out how technology has already been used in classrooms and the results it has shown so far. I really liked this one more because it gives something concrete instead of just spouting theory.
I definitely want to be an educator that uses things like a Smart board in order to appeal to the group of students who are technology savvy.
The second article was great in finding out how technology has already been used in classrooms and the results it has shown so far. I really liked this one more because it gives something concrete instead of just spouting theory.
I definitely want to be an educator that uses things like a Smart board in order to appeal to the group of students who are technology savvy.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Fun Websites
Twitter Magnets are really fun. It reminds me of my high school teacher that had magnet boards with various poetic magnet words on them. We had a day in which we could play with words in her class by playing board games, acting out scenes from books in small groups, drinking tea and listening to calming music.
The story starter would be a great website to have in a middle school or elementary school english class. I always had so much trouble coming up with an interesting first line to draw you into my story.
The story starter would be a great website to have in a middle school or elementary school english class. I always had so much trouble coming up with an interesting first line to draw you into my story.
Guidelines for Blogs
- No grammatical errors
- Addresses intended audience
- What is the author's intention for the blog?
- Not disrespectful
- Is it a credible source?
- Minimal ads
- Is coherent and organized
Monday, January 18, 2010
Comics in the Classroom
Let's face it, the easiest way to understand something is through a visual aid. And kids love visual aids. Sure, they could read a text book or listen to a lecture, but a visual aid that captivates them, makes them laugh or even confuses them helps them to take that first step into figuring out what they are going to dive into next. Like the opening lines of an essay paper, comics are a great way to jump into a new subject. They provide a background, a fact, a lie and a smile. They force you to re-read them or to think about what they are poking fun at. I think they are great resources in starting a conversation about an important subject.
And I was going to post my Domo Animate thing on here, but have failed twice to save it. Each time I have had to remake it and save it. That's it. I'm done with that thing. I'm gonna just publish this without it and either try next time I get to it or not make one at all. I loved how easy it was to use it, but to publish it is just pure terror.
And I was going to post my Domo Animate thing on here, but have failed twice to save it. Each time I have had to remake it and save it. That's it. I'm done with that thing. I'm gonna just publish this without it and either try next time I get to it or not make one at all. I loved how easy it was to use it, but to publish it is just pure terror.
MLK Day and Igoogle
How strange to have an iconic figure on a blog and to just write about igoogle. Anyways, I am writing this on MLK day and figured I would take a picture of Martin Luther King jr. for the occasion. It's a nice picture too.
Anyways, about igoogle. The only reason I could have igoogle in the classroom is for the reason that I may want to have my computer screen on and for all to see. If I have something I want them to see online and want to get to quickly, of course I would have my computer on. In that case, they would love to see something interesting up there. Kind of like the virtual acquarium that you put up or other little widgets such as the weather, interesting videos, famous artwork, fun facts, etc. These would all be small treats that the students could gaze upon for a while as I was busy looking for something in class, talking with someone, etc. But I can't understand why any educator would make this a key application in their classroom.
21st Century Teacher
This was an interesting article that outlined the strong characteristics a teacher should have in the 21st century (technology savvy and skills of a great teacher/leader). Although I am a bit saddened by the fact that this article had many punctuation errors and it was an targeted to an audience of educators-it just made their argument a bit ineffective. It really gave the sense of "With technology, we don't have to worry about the end result, we just have to use it and everything will turn out okay."
Besides the obvious, this article did talk about the key points that would make a captivating educator these days.
21st Century Educator Characteristics:
The Adaptor: An educator who plans out their lessons with technology applications or programs. Someone who is ready with something new and intriguing (whether or not the technology fails them). And someone able to incorporate different learning styles into their lessons.
The Visionary: Being able to use the technology that is out there today and harness it for educational purposes (imagination). Can see what other educators are doing and incorporate their techniques correctly in class.
The Collaborator: Online collaboration between individuals from near and far using such tools as myspace, wikispaces, second life, etc. Must share, contribute, adapt, and invent.
The Risk Taker: It seems that this area is targeted to all the digital immigrants out there-allow the students to figure out the technology and teach others. That's a good idea. But as a digital native, I understand what technology they can use and how they could misuse it, so it's always a good idea to check up on the students and see what they are actually doing.
The Learner: Basically, don't constantly stick to what you know works. If you find something new and interesting, share it. Incorporate it in class and make sure that it is used effectively.
The Communicator: They are fluent in tools and technologies that enable communication and collaboration. They go beyond learning just how to do it, they also know how to facilitate it, stimulate and control it, moderate and manage it.
The Model: Of course teachers are a model to students. Using technology or not, teachers have to be able to set up an example of what they expect to see in their students. If they expect students to be respectful, honest and able to express their opinions in a respectful manner, it better start with the teacher's behavior in doing so.
The Leader: Leadership. Leadership is vitally important in each classroom. And this area summarizes an effective leader. Having a clear vision, skills, incentives, resources, and an action plan leads to change in a classroom. If you are without any of these traits, it may lead to such things as confusion, anxiety and resistance.
Overall, I liked the article. It preaches to a new generation of people that will need to harness the technology out there in order to help students prepare themselves for future jobs in which their skills in technology or just their leadership/collaboration skills can help them create something new.
Besides the obvious, this article did talk about the key points that would make a captivating educator these days.
21st Century Educator Characteristics:
The Adaptor: An educator who plans out their lessons with technology applications or programs. Someone who is ready with something new and intriguing (whether or not the technology fails them). And someone able to incorporate different learning styles into their lessons.
The Visionary: Being able to use the technology that is out there today and harness it for educational purposes (imagination). Can see what other educators are doing and incorporate their techniques correctly in class.
The Collaborator: Online collaboration between individuals from near and far using such tools as myspace, wikispaces, second life, etc. Must share, contribute, adapt, and invent.
The Risk Taker: It seems that this area is targeted to all the digital immigrants out there-allow the students to figure out the technology and teach others. That's a good idea. But as a digital native, I understand what technology they can use and how they could misuse it, so it's always a good idea to check up on the students and see what they are actually doing.
The Learner: Basically, don't constantly stick to what you know works. If you find something new and interesting, share it. Incorporate it in class and make sure that it is used effectively.
The Communicator: They are fluent in tools and technologies that enable communication and collaboration. They go beyond learning just how to do it, they also know how to facilitate it, stimulate and control it, moderate and manage it.
The Model: Of course teachers are a model to students. Using technology or not, teachers have to be able to set up an example of what they expect to see in their students. If they expect students to be respectful, honest and able to express their opinions in a respectful manner, it better start with the teacher's behavior in doing so.
The Leader: Leadership. Leadership is vitally important in each classroom. And this area summarizes an effective leader. Having a clear vision, skills, incentives, resources, and an action plan leads to change in a classroom. If you are without any of these traits, it may lead to such things as confusion, anxiety and resistance.
Overall, I liked the article. It preaches to a new generation of people that will need to harness the technology out there in order to help students prepare themselves for future jobs in which their skills in technology or just their leadership/collaboration skills can help them create something new.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Digital Storytelling Research
What is Digital Storytelling?
Digital Storytelling is the practice of using computer-based tools to tell stories. As with traditional storytelling, most digital stories focus on a specific topic and contain a particular point of view. However, as the name implies, digital stories usually contain some mixture of computer-based images, text, recorded audio narration, video clips and/or music. Digital stories can vary in length, but most of the stories used in education typically last between two and ten minutes. And the topics that are used in Digital Storytelling range from personal tales to the recounting of historical events, from exploring life in one's own community to the search for life in other corners of the universe, and literally, everything in between. A great way to begin learning about Digital Storytelling is by watching the following video introduction to Digital Storytelling.
The Uses of Digital Storytelling in the Classroom
Stories created by teachers can serve as a lesson hook, as a way to integrate multimedia into the curriculum, as a way to make difficult content more understandable and to facilitate classroom discussion. The students will use a variety of skills in developing a digital story such as: writing skills, research skills, organizational skills, presentation skills, technology skills and problem-solving skills.
Scaffolding Digital Storytelling for the Classroom
Digital storytelling is not just limited to writing and language arts-it can be used for a variety of subjects such as science or math. Here are two examples: Develop a short story about a historical, scientific, literary, or current political/social hero students most want to be like, telling the story as if they were actually that person. The storytelling goes beyond the facts to unfold a deeper meaning about their hero’s importance to themselves, their community, or humanity through the lesson learned. Act as if you are a totem pole (panda bear, invention, math/science concept, or song), telling your autobiographical story through the use of personification culminating in a lesson learned about the deeper meaning of their inanimate object’s importance to themselves, their community, or humanity through a lesson learned.
Challenges of Using Digital Storytelling in a Classroom Setting With Different Age Groups
I believe that there are various challenges in using digital storytelling with various age groups. The educator may use this technology to make their own story early on in K-3rd grade because the technology that is involved (computers, digital cameras, voice recorders, flash drives, etc.) may be too much for the students in those grades to handle. Also, such equipment is expensive and sensitive, and most people don’t believe that such equipment would survive long with children of that age.
Tools Students Need To Make a Successful Photo Story
Besides the Photo Story program, students need the following tools to make a successful Photo Story: A digital camera, A memory stick, card for that camera, a way to import pictures to a computer, a computer, a voice recorder and of course a topic to write about. Then you can let the imagination fly!
Bibliography:
http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/
www.adobe.com/education/instruction/adsc/pdf/digital_storytelling.pdf
http://www.slideshare.net/mikeromard/photostory-for-elementary-students-presentation
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=Tools+needed+to+make+a+successful+photo+story&rlz=1R2GPCK_en&aq=f&oq=&aqi=
http://www.scribd.com/doc/16452960/Art-of-Digital-Storytelling
Digital Storytelling is the practice of using computer-based tools to tell stories. As with traditional storytelling, most digital stories focus on a specific topic and contain a particular point of view. However, as the name implies, digital stories usually contain some mixture of computer-based images, text, recorded audio narration, video clips and/or music. Digital stories can vary in length, but most of the stories used in education typically last between two and ten minutes. And the topics that are used in Digital Storytelling range from personal tales to the recounting of historical events, from exploring life in one's own community to the search for life in other corners of the universe, and literally, everything in between. A great way to begin learning about Digital Storytelling is by watching the following video introduction to Digital Storytelling.
The Uses of Digital Storytelling in the Classroom
Stories created by teachers can serve as a lesson hook, as a way to integrate multimedia into the curriculum, as a way to make difficult content more understandable and to facilitate classroom discussion. The students will use a variety of skills in developing a digital story such as: writing skills, research skills, organizational skills, presentation skills, technology skills and problem-solving skills.
Scaffolding Digital Storytelling for the Classroom
Digital storytelling is not just limited to writing and language arts-it can be used for a variety of subjects such as science or math. Here are two examples: Develop a short story about a historical, scientific, literary, or current political/social hero students most want to be like, telling the story as if they were actually that person. The storytelling goes beyond the facts to unfold a deeper meaning about their hero’s importance to themselves, their community, or humanity through the lesson learned. Act as if you are a totem pole (panda bear, invention, math/science concept, or song), telling your autobiographical story through the use of personification culminating in a lesson learned about the deeper meaning of their inanimate object’s importance to themselves, their community, or humanity through a lesson learned.
Challenges of Using Digital Storytelling in a Classroom Setting With Different Age Groups
I believe that there are various challenges in using digital storytelling with various age groups. The educator may use this technology to make their own story early on in K-3rd grade because the technology that is involved (computers, digital cameras, voice recorders, flash drives, etc.) may be too much for the students in those grades to handle. Also, such equipment is expensive and sensitive, and most people don’t believe that such equipment would survive long with children of that age.
Tools Students Need To Make a Successful Photo Story
Besides the Photo Story program, students need the following tools to make a successful Photo Story: A digital camera, A memory stick, card for that camera, a way to import pictures to a computer, a computer, a voice recorder and of course a topic to write about. Then you can let the imagination fly!
Bibliography:
http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/
www.adobe.com/education/instruction/adsc/pdf/digital_storytelling.pdf
http://www.slideshare.net/mikeromard/photostory-for-elementary-students-presentation
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=Tools+needed+to+make+a+successful+photo+story&rlz=1R2GPCK_en&aq=f&oq=&aqi=
http://www.scribd.com/doc/16452960/Art-of-Digital-Storytelling
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Reasons Why Educators Need to Embrace Internet Technologies
I recently read over the article: Reasons Why Educators Need to Embrace Internet Technologies and felt stuck between a complex situation. What I meant to say is that my generation is the one that will have to step forward and investigate how the internet can help in classroom assignments and projects. There are no classes or professors that future educators can take that specifically teach us which website will be useful for teaching specific concepts in math or reading in elementary schools. No one will tell you that what you found online is good for a certain situation. There really are endless opportunities by using this technology. Only a trial and error test will determine what works and what doesn't. Not to mention that we now have other educators and peers that will be researching online tools as well.
Okay, so the internet is not a fad and as educators we need to find out what we can do with it to keep the students busy, active and engaged. I finally understand why so many new and strange applications are popular and being shoved into my hands. This is only the beginning. I have to learn, teach and grow until one day I am teaching future teachers what programs and applications worked and what didn't.
I think it will be fun to integrate technology with class work. I personally can't wait to use such things as smart boards and the new 'overhead' projectors in a class of my very own.
Okay, so the internet is not a fad and as educators we need to find out what we can do with it to keep the students busy, active and engaged. I finally understand why so many new and strange applications are popular and being shoved into my hands. This is only the beginning. I have to learn, teach and grow until one day I am teaching future teachers what programs and applications worked and what didn't.
I think it will be fun to integrate technology with class work. I personally can't wait to use such things as smart boards and the new 'overhead' projectors in a class of my very own.
Experiences with Technology in K-12
My first experience with technology in the classroom was a small computer that still had a black and green screen in first or second grade. I didn't get used to it because we recieved new high-tech computers. With those computers I learned about Google, played Math and Word Munchers and took simple reading tests. In middle school, I took a typing class that was defintely helpful. In my highschool years, I wrote many papers using Microsoft Word. I practiced speeches with a PowerPoint presentation. I tried to use Excel, but it was kind of hard to use. But of course, during these years, I didn't rely much on a computer as I do now. If I needed it, I would go to school and use it to research on Ebsco and print out important documents or images.
I have to admit, I agree that technology is new and exciting-especially at finding a use for it in the classroom. But there have been so many problems-needing specific wires, technology failing when we need it to open a specific file. I believe the teachers are what make a classroom engaging and fun. Technology is no substitute for a good teacher.
I have to admit, I agree that technology is new and exciting-especially at finding a use for it in the classroom. But there have been so many problems-needing specific wires, technology failing when we need it to open a specific file. I believe the teachers are what make a classroom engaging and fun. Technology is no substitute for a good teacher.
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