Week 11- FINAL BLOG REFLECTION!

Part One:

Before completing this course, I was more of a social media, blackboard, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint kinda girl. I did not know much more than the basics. I never REALLY knew what a Web 2.0 tool was, a podcast, blog, and many other technological ways even though I grew up with technology. Technology is growing so fast, sometimes it's hard to keep up! After completing this course I feel a lot more comfortable and secure using more technology and adding technology into my (future) classroom!

I believe that we did in fact cover every object:

1.) Demonstrate the understanding of how technologies can effectively promote student learning.

Answer: Every week, we learned many new different technology resources to use with our students. Whether or not it is a WebQuest, an online project (Voki, Glogster, Podcasts, Prezi ect.), using Web 2.0 tools to find resources for your classroom or professional development. I believe that we have learned so many different tools to promote students learning.

2.) Evaluate and use a variety of current technologies to enhance content instruction and to advance students' technological literacy.

Answer: I believe that Kim showed us how to use and evaluate a variety of current technologies and we usually got a choice on which one we were more comfortable with. For example, we were able to choose our WebQuest resource. I believe that every Web 2.0 tool that we used, helped us extend our resources and comfort level with technology so that we present new and exciting learning tools to our students.

3.) Design meaningful and authentic digitally based learning experiences with multiple and varied assessments.

Answer: I believe that the most useful tool that we used for assessments was Rubistar at the end of the semester. We needed to make a rubric for our WebQuests. Finding and using this tool will help teachers have more access to rubrics and also give them a better understanding of how they should look, and sound for the students to understand what a 4,3,2, and 1 is while completing their projects, essays ect.

4.)Reflect upon and demonstrate effective use of digital tools and resources.

Answer: I believe that we reflected upon and demonstrated effective use of digital tools and resources when we were completing and presenting our lesson plans to the class. We were given different ideas to use for assessments such as, Prezi, Glogster, Podcasts and many more. We were also given many different teaching tools as resources to meet the Common Core Standards, ISTS and Frameworks.

5.)Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of safe, ethical, legal and moral practices related to digital information and technology.

Answer: After the week of learning digital citizenship, it really helped me better understand how important it is to teach the students to use safe, ethical, legal and moral practices online. You hear of so many horror stories of fights, bullying and even death because of online websites and other media tools. If we as teachers would bring the importance of digitial citizenship, I would hope it would help the students be more safe when they use social media and other tools online.

6.) Illustrate through application how state and national standards are implemented within the curriculum (NH Curriculum Frameworks, Common Core Standards, ISTE (NETS-­‐Teacher/NETS-­‐Student) and NH-­‐ICT Literacy Standards for K-­‐12 Students (306.42))

Answer: As teachers, we need to teach to the: NH Curriculum Frameworks, Common Core and ISTE Standards. We follow these standards so that we know what we're teaching the students and which standards we use for each lesson we teach.

7.) Demonstrate an understanding of the use of adaptive technologies and other digital resources to personalize and differentiate learning activities for every student.

Answer: Their are so many resources for students to use that adapt to the students learning. For example, Glogster, Glogster uses their own creativity to develop a "advertisment" poster for a certain unit.

8.) Evaluate, adapt and reflect on emerging tools and trends by participating in local and global learning communities and by reviewing current research and professional literature.

Answer: Refreshing your skills as a teacher is so important. One idea that all teachers should do is their professional development on campus as well as researching and listening to online podcast discussions. We learn through others.

Part 2:

Today, technology is everywhere. The teachers that did not grow up with technology are overwhelmed, nervous and biased on using technology in the classroom. As teachers we need to understand that we need to adapt to society to best teach our students. There are so many workshops out their today with help to integrate technology into the classroom. It's also important to start out slow, to help you not become too overwhelmed. 
Our students today are growing up in a technological environment, they're fixated on using technology and staying engaged in society. If we bring that to our classrooms, students will better succeed and stay engaged. 

Too read and better understand what I learned throughout this course, please read the top section of this blog post again. I loved this class, and feel better prepared to teach technology in my future classroom with many different new technological tools! :)

Week 11- Teacher Interview

I asked Chris Demers, the technology teacher at Mill Brook six different interview questions. Before we had the interview, Chris came into my Kindergarten classroom to teach lessons on iPads, using the apps Skitch and BookMaker. During this time, Chris engaged the students in the classrooms fully. The students were very interested in knowing what they will learn that day, how to do it, and the interaction between students that presents itself, and presenting their products to the class.

What I enjoyed most about Chris' visit was that he brought 2nd graders to help teach the Kindergarten students. The second graders felt like they were teaching the younger students, and the teachers were actually able to step back and observe the students using the iPads.

Since Chris and I seem to have opposite schedules, we decided to finish the observation interview online. Below is the interview:

Q: Why/How did you become interested in this field of teaching?

A: Teaching is my passion and so any opportunity to do it is a gift.  Beyond that, I'm very interested in what technology can do to enhance learning.  iPads in the classroom can be misused in so many ways and yet there is a potential to great things with these tools.  Teachers are all over the place in terms of their comfort level with these devices and students are as well.  The chance to bring everyone together and try to figure out how to best use these tools is exciting.

Q:  What specifically are the teachers doing with technology within the classrooms?

A:  I think that the use of technology fits into two basic categories (and a 3rd that we're trying to avoid).  Category one is productivity.  iPads (and other forms of technology) hold incredible potential for students to demonstrate their understanding in many ways - whether it's through immediate feedback using response systems (which we haven't done yet at Mill Brook School) or by generating quality products like videos or digital books.  Category two is practice.  Technology offers opportunities for students to do things over and over (in a fun way) to build skills whether it's through games or other practice apps.  The 3rd category is mindless game playing.  Technology can a fun toy with very little thinking value.  Students would love to play Angry Birds all day.  That kind of use should be an outside of school activity. 

Q: Are you/the teachers using technology with the current curriculum?

A:  The goal for this year is to integrate the use of technology into the curriculum that is taught by classroom teachers.  This is a bit of a different model from past years when tech was only a separate class.  With positions like mine in each school, it's all about bringing the tech to the classrooms.

Q:  How are students using technology?

A:  Here's a quick list of what they're doing and with what... 

Practice - Fasttmath and game apps

Writing - Book Creator and other book making apps

Showing understanding by explaining their thinking - Educreations, Glogster and Skitch

Reading fluency portfolios - Book Creator

Q: What standards are being used in relation to the technology?

A:  We are currently working on adapting the ISTE standards in Concord and generating Enduring Understandings, Essential Questions and skills/knowledge for each.  We are preparing to roll out a digital portfolio that students will compile to demonstrate their understanding of these standards. 

Q:  If the technology is not available to all students at the same time, how are students sharing the technology?

A:  This is not a problem at MBS.  At Broken Ground School, we have a mobile cart of iPads and another with Netbooks.  There is an on-line schedule for each of these (as well as the computer lab).  Teachers sign out for these tools as well as time with me or Tootle as we help support the use of these devices. 

Q:  What evidence of the results of technology use are displayed in the classroom? Do you see computer-generated charts, graphs, or tables? Reports containing photographs or other computer-generated images? Print-outs from slide shows? Printed blog entries? Technology should extend lessons in visible ways.
A:  Here is one example...

4th grade Glogster Project

I really enjoyed viewing the Glogster Project. I enjoyed viewing a grade-wide online project. While viewing these projects, you can tell that the students took their time, and really learned something with all the information that was put on them.

I love seeing technology in the classroom, and cannot wait for Chris to come back into my Kindergarten classroom to show us some new ideas! :)

Week 8: Podcasts/Storytelling

Above is a Digital Story that I created about the most important/fun things in my life. Enjoy :)


Here is my Podcast that presents what I have learned throughout this class, as well as whether or not I feel as though we have met the course objectives. This podcast also explains what technology I see in my school thus far and once I become a teacher, how I will incorporate more technology into my classroom.

listen to ‘EDU 533’ on Audioboo