Sunday, November 27, 2011

Clickers, Rubrics, Kidsperation, and what I've Learned So Far

I recently learned about clickers, rubrics, and Kidsperation.  Clickers are instruments used to text in your information to a poll in the classroom.  I found it interesting to use them as a way to rate your lectures instead of waiting until the end of the semester to have the students rate your class.  I also like the fact it is a way to make the whole class get involved by allowing all the students to click in their answers.  The idea to use an incentive such as a dollar or small reward to encourage everyone to participate was a good suggestion as well.  Rubrics are an organized grading system usually set up in a grid type them.  All my college professors use these each semester in my classes and I think they are very useful.  It can be as broad or as specified as you like and it is very useful and effective to use when you have several people needing to grade something as well.  Kidsperation is a form of Inspiration that is used for the younger children around kindergarten to second grade.  It is a software used through an interactive white board that allows the teacher and the students to create semantic maps and different types of graphic organizers.  I found it to be fun and very useful for myself and future students.  All these tools are very helpful and resourceful for the classroom.

This class has taught me several valuable tools and information.  I love all the sources provided and wish I had a list of them all to revert to in the future.  I am going to school for All-Level Special Education; therefore, all these tools can be used regardless of what grade or area I teach.  I can't wait to use clickers, Kidsperation, and all the Web 2.0 tools we learned in this class.  I am excited about creating webquests, and allowing the students to create voicethreads in the classroom.  This class has been very informative and provided me with so much knowledge and ideas to use with my future students.  I now have realized you can use technology in just about any and every lesson plan in some form or fashion.  This class has given me a new found confidence and I am so excited to practice my new skills with my future students.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Technology Application Standards

This weeks assignment was to explore the Technology Application Standards. I found the them to be very interesting.  I didn't even know there was TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) for Technology available.  We were asked to pick a TEKS of our choice and display it in our blog.  I picked the following:
(7) Solving problems. The student uses appropriate computer-based productivity tools to create and modify solutions to problems. The student is expected to:
(A) use software programs with audio, video, and graphics to enhance learning experiences.
I chose this one because it can be used in so many ways.  I think it's the "fun one" of the TEKS that were provided for the Elementary Level.  It can covered by using games, group work, and even independent strategies if necessary.    It also gives you a wide coverage of usage by including the options of audio, video, and graphics to enhance the learning experience.  I can see this TEK being used quite a bit in my classroom and other classrooms as well.

As another part of our assignment, we were asked to pick a subject and grade level's standards.  We were then asked to pick any TEK that can be related to the usage of technology, and then decribe how we would use it in our classroom.  I chose fourth grade Langage Arts as my standards and I found the following:
1)  Reading/Fluency. Students read grade-level text with fluency and comprehension. Students are expected to read aloud grade-level stories with fluency (rate, accuracy, expression, appropriate phrasing) and comprehension.  This can be accomplished by children reading aloud ebooks instead of paperbooks and worksheets.2)  Reading/Vocabulary Development. Students understand new vocabulary and use it when reading and writing. Students are expected to:
(A)  determine the meaning of grade-level academic English words derived from Latin, Greek, or other linguistic roots and affixes.  This can be accomplished through using an online dictionary verses a hardback one.  There are also several TEKS listed for speech and writing parts.  There are wonderful websites that can accomodate students and cover these TEKS.  One is http://www.starfall.com/.  It is free and a wonderful tool to use from pre-k on up through elementary.  There is so much that we can cover using technology.

We were last asked to write about what we thought was the most important TEK in Technology and how we would apply it in our classroom. There were several good ones and it made it hard to choose just one, but I narrowed down to the following one:  1.16s demonstrate proper etiquette and knowlege of acceptable use of electronic information and products while in an individual classroom, lab, or on the Internet or an Intranet.   I feel this covers a wide area; from plagarism to how to treat the equioment.  Bottom line, it specifies respect for the equipment, individuals, and laws.  I would incorporate this by cohersing with my students to create a list of rules to keep in the classroom and follow.  Some of the rules may be "No copying other people's work including classmates and what is found on the internet," and " push your chairs in after you get up and make sure the computer has properly been logged off and turned off," also " please keep your audio at a minimal level to respect others who are working."  I think it is important to incorporate a lesson plan using technology to assist in learning laws and etiquette in the classroom.  I think this rule is very important and is the foundation to using and implying technology in a proper and respectful manner.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Visualizing with Technologies

I think that visualizing with technologies is an awesome thing.  I never even knew that graphing calculaters where considered visual tecnology.  I always thought of them as just calculators. Having visual technology is extrememly helpful because it allows us to be able to "visualize" from all aspects the situation and the solution to the problem.  Chapter Nine does a really good job of using examples of how such programs as Tinkerplots, Spartan, and Sketchcast benefit students by allowing the students to use their programs to create examples and solutions to their problems and assigments at hand.  GIS allows students to graph and map ideas for geography assignments.  Tinkerplots alllow students to visualize and work out problems for critical thinksing skills.  Spartan allows students to have a visual of what cetain strands and molecules look like.  Google Earth allows us to see different parts of the Earth through zooming and/or providing an address.  These tools allow us to get a thorough image and answer what we are trying to gather for a solution to a problem, plan, or activity.