At the start of CEP 810 I listed 2 main goals for myself. I wanted to increase my knowledge of different programs and websites that I could transfer into my curriculum, and I wanted to learn more about technology so I could be our buildings “go to” person. In the last 5 weeks I have gained more knowledge about new technologies and how to make my life more streamlined than I have in the last 5 years.
My first goal for this course was to gain knowledge of new programs or websites that I could utilize in my 4-6 technology curriculum. I currently teach my students Microsoft Productivity Tools. In the first session I learned how I could use Office Live, Google Docs, and Open Office to teach students about online productivity tools and how to use these tools in a collaborative way. I was also excited to learn about Zoho and Prezi. Both are collaborative presentation tools my students would love to utilize.
Internet safety and copyright laws are two topics that I teach my students about. I’ve gained some great safety tips to share with my students, such as copy and pasting any link into the Google search bar to see if the link is a scam or virus before they ever click on the link. Citing sources and using copyright free images is a constant struggle when working with students. Attempting to explain the complicated copyright laws is a struggle. The YouTube Disney video is wonderful, and I am looking forward to sharing it with my classes. I also found the chart from Technology and Learning to be a user friendly chart when explaining what is allowed and not allowed when using others ideas, images, or products. Creative Commons is also a great resource for students to use when looking for copyright free products.
Digital storytelling is a topic that I had heard about prior to this course, but not one that I had taught. I have learned so much about digital storytelling through my groups SIG project. For all of our great resources check out our SIG Delicious account. I am looking forward to having my 4th graders use Kapoof, and teaching my 5th and 6th graders how to use Microsoft’s Photo Story 3. I believe digital storytelling is an excellent example of integrating Language Arts and Technology.
Personal Learning Networks, Getting Things Done, and Netvibes are all three things that were introduced to me, and that have changed how I function. At the start of this class I considered my Personal Learning Network to mainly consist of my colleagues at work and my peers through MSU. CEP 810 opened my eyes to the many different PLN’s available within a click. I have become an active member of Twitter and I am constantly checking to see what other tech teachers are saying. Joining MACAL’s Ning has also provided me with a wealth of knowledge, and new ideas to try out in my classroom.
Netvibes is a wonderful site where I can view all of my PLN blogs, websites, and social networks at one time. Instead of spending time moving from website to website I can use Netvibes as a one stop spot where I can read up on technology trends, and what other technology teachers are doing in their own classroom. I have discovered three teacher blogs where I have gained so many wonderful ideas that I can not wait to implement into my own curriculum. Cool Cat Teacher, Ask a Teacher, and EdTechSandyK are three blogs that I have recommended to several of my colleges.
David Allen’s Getting Things Done is a concept that I had never heard of. This has tremendously changed how I function as a teacher, a student, a wife, and a mom. I found a great free site (www.gtdify.com) and my husband and I have been using it religiously. We share the same GTD account so we both don’t have to put some of the same projects down. I can see what I need to get done today, tomorrow, this week, and this month in one click. I know where my priorities need to be and if I complete all my tasks I can easily see what I should accomplish next. I have noticed that the process of getting my endless to do list out of my head and into the GTDify page has reduced my stress tremendously.
My second goal was to be able to be a “go to” person for technology in my building. I have gained so many useful resources from this class. I have decided to put together a Prezi presentation for my building administration on some of the beneficial websites our teachers should be utilizing. I also want to present the idea of starting a collaborative Delicious account where teachers can post their useful websites and links. As teachers we are constantly looking for new ideas and lesson plans that work, and at times we feel as if we are on an island all alone. A school Delicious account would allow our teachers to share what they have found that works in one easy to access spot. If teachers include detailed summaries, and tags we can easily create a collaborate site filled with countless resources for all.
A new goal I am setting for myself, and hopefully the other technology teachers in the district, is to set up a K-12 technology portfolio system for our students. Using the Michigan Educations Technology Standards and the National Educational Technology Standards for Students I would like our district to align our curriculum K-12 and see how we can successfully integrate other subjects into teaching technology. This is a huge undertaking, but I believe it is a necessity for our students to be successful in today’s tech savvy world. I believe using the TPACK model would help us successful complete this task.
1 comment:
I love all the exciting ways you plan on integrating technology into your curriculum and using Web 2.0 tools with your students. Two years ago, I created a Delicious account for the teachers at RKE. It has been a slow go in getting them to use the site, though. They are way too busy adding the new curriculum elements brought in this past fall. Or, they have simply forgotten that it even existed. Good luck with your endeavors - you may have to send out reminders when new content is added.
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