Integrating Technology into the Classroom

June 11, 2014

I feel that technology is an important part of education now.  Back when I was in elementary school, classrooms did not have computers in them, we had to go to the computer lab.  The most technology I remember being in class was the overhead projector and even that was not used too often.  I remember when I was in 6th grade I thought it was so cool that my teacher greeted everyone in the class by having his computer speak to us.  He was the first teacher in my building to have that type of technology in the classroom and he did a great job incorporating the use of the computer into his lessons.  I remember playing a lot of group “Jeopardy” like games at the end of units and there were times where he would just let us have fun on it at the end of the week.   

“Through the intelligent use of technology, combined with new approaches to education, a more personalized style of learning can be realized.” (http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration)  Working with students on the Autism Spectrum I am constantly looking for new and different ways of getting them engaged in their school work.  Without the use of technology some of my students would not have a voice.  Without the use of all the great educational apps I have downloaded on my classroom iPad some of my students would not have gained an understanding of certain skills quite as easily; a lot of them really relate to technology and it helps them learn in a more productive way.  

Throughout this course I have learned many different ways that technology can be integrated into the classroom.  I hope to be able to bring some of these tools into my classroom in the future.  The classroom setting I am in now it may be tough to do so though if I have a higher functioning student with Autism I may be able to use such tools as the webquest, Tagxedo and possibly even using Animoto to make simple videos about topics of interest to them.  I feel that some of my students would really enjoy these activities.  

As long as the technology is used responsibly I feel that it is a great thing to have integrated into students learning.  Through watching the videos “Growing up Online” and “Digital Nation” I learned just how important it is teach children, starting at young age how to be a good digital citizen.  I feel that the internet can be a scary place if it is not used responsibly.  I learned that though it is a parents responsibility to teach their children about being a good digital citizen it is also important for their teachers to be teaching them the same practices.  

Resource:

"Technology Integration in Education "Edutopia". N.p. n.d. Web. 11 June 2014. http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration

My Digital Story

May 28, 2014

Alphabet Animals

Name: Heather Stone    Age Group: Kindergarten      Subject area: Language Arts

List the Web site you found your lesson on: http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/animalAlphabet/

“Big Idea” this lesson plan supports:  The big idea of this lesson is for the students to identify the letters/letter sounds in the alphabet and to understand that written language represents spoken language.

Lesson Plan Component	Criteria
Name of Lesson:	Animal Alphabet
Common Core/ISTE Standards:	Kindergarten Print Concepts: 1.  Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print.               - Recognize that spoken words are represented in written language by                  specific sequences of letters.               - Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet Kindergarten Phonics and Word Recognition: 3.  Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.               -  Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing                   the primary sound or many of the most frequent sounds for each consonant. 1. Creativity and innovation: Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.                   b. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression 2. Communication and collaboration: Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.                   a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of                         digital environments and media                   d. Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems
Lesson Objective(s):	Students will: Recognize and recite the alphabet and identify the sounds each letter makes. Understand that printed letters represent spoken language. Identify the names of animals that begin with particular letter sounds and create digital models to represent these living creatures.
Materials:	Animal Alphabet video Alphabet letter cards iPads (1 per group of students) Crayons Pencils and erasers Construction paper, glue, pipe cleaners, pom poms and other assorted arts and crafts materials Dry erase board and marker (1 per group of students) Print resources with pictures of different animals
Anticipatory Set:	To hook the students into the lesson I will have them watch a video called “Animal Alphabet” that goes through each letter of the alphabet and the name of an animal that starts with each letter.
Procedures:	Review the alphabet with the class, letter by letter. What sounds does each letter make? Have the class watch Animal Alphabet to identify the letters, their sounds, and animals whose names begin with each letter. Tell the class that they will be using iPad’s to explore the alphabet, letter sounds and animals that start with each letter.  Divide the class into groups of 2 to 4, depending on how many adults (student teachers, parent volunteers, instructional assistants, classroom helpers) can help in the classroom. Have each adult ask a group to recite the alphabet and review the sounds of each letter. Have the adults help each group of students get onto the Albert Alphabetimals iPad app.  This app is an interactive alphabet story where the students will be able to go through each letter of the alphabet and some animals that start with each letter. Next, the adults will go over the letter sounds again and each child in the group will have a chance to practice tracing the letters using an app called Alphabet Tracing.  For the students in the group who are not tracing the letter on the iPad they can be practicing using a white board and marker. Then, the teacher will assign each group a letter of the alphabet.  The students will have to work together to construct an animals that starts with the letter they were assigned.  They will be given numerous arts and crafts materials to construct their animals.  They can choose an animal that they saw in the video, at the beginning of the lesson, or they can come up with their own.   Once the students have finished constructing their animals they will use the iPad to spell out the name if their animal and the name of each student in the group.  They will have the choice of using an app called Magnetic Letters or Kids Doodle.  The adults should help each group find these apps.  Each child will have the chance to pick one of the of the apps and spell out their name and/or the name of the animal they made.  The adults will then help each child take a screenshot of what they spelled out and the teacher will take each screenshot and print them out, in color, for the students to put with their animal project.   Once the groups are finished with their projects they will get up as a group and tell the class what letter they had, the sound it makes and what animal they chose to create.
Closure:	As a class we will talk about the letters and letter sounds again.  Then, I will have each group of students talk about what letter they had, the sound it makes and explain their animal creation.
Assessment:	Use the following three-point rubric to evaluate students' work during this lesson. Three points: Students were highly engaged in class and group discussions; clearly identified all the letters of the alphabet and their sounds; and created colorful and unique drawings that demonstrated a solid understanding of a particular letter and its sounds. Two points: Students participated in class and group discussions; adequately identified most of the letters of the alphabet and their sounds; and created somewhat colorful and unique drawings that demonstrated a basic understanding of a particular letter and its sounds. One point: Students participated minimally in class and group discussions; were unable to identify most of the letters of the alphabet and their sounds; and created incomplete drawings that did not demonstrate a basic understanding of a particular letter and its sounds.
Modifications/Accommodations:	- Students who need it will be given additional time to finish their project.   - Present new concepts as concretely and visually as possible for those students who need it. - Provide organizational tools and visual supports as needed. - Allow breaks if needed.

Student Artifacts:

Technology in the Classroom

May 12, 2014

I had the pleasure of observing and interviewing the reading/writing specialist, Mrs. Colby, within the elementary school I work in.  Unfortunately, my school does not have a lot of technology to work with due to most of the technology available to us being 8+ years old.  We have a cart of old Mac Books that teachers are able to sign up to use when they want and we have numerous versions of the iMac around the school.  Toward the end of this past school year (2012-2013 year) Mrs. Colby was able to get the school a cart of Chromebooks which has been wonderful.  

                       

With the addition of the cart of Chromebooks to the school the teachers and students have been taking full advantage of them.  Mrs. Colby said that the cart of Mac Books was constantly giving the teachers problems because they were slow and did not always want to turn on for the students or logon to the internet.  With the Chromebooks they turn right on and connect to the internet without issue and each student in the school has a student Gmail account.  With this cart the teachers are able to sign up for time to use it.  It was stated that each teacher uses them within the classroom at least once a week for activities such as word processing, research, and internet based programs such as Reading Plus and Study Island.

 

For this assignment I was able to observe a third grade classroom working on Reading Plus.  Mrs. Colby explained that Reading Plus is a program for students in grades three and up.  At this point in the school year all the students were able to easily take out the computers and turn them on, on their own.  Each student has their own login information to access this website and it keeps track of their progress as they work through it. 

During my observation I was able to see a range of students at different ability levels accessing this program; they all really seemed to enjoy it!  Many of the students were completely independent in using the program and there were some students that had a lot of questions.  With the students who had questions Mrs. Colby was always right there to help out while at the same time encouraging them to try on their own first.  I asked Mrs. Colby if she feels this program has been beneficial to the students and she couldn't say any more positive things about how it has allowed students to work on their independent reading skills while also developing their reading efficiency, fluency, motivation and foundation.  The students were all completely engaged in what they were doing and you could tell that they were also learning a lot during this time using technology. 

 

During this observation it made me wish that the program started at a younger grade, as I work with first graders and it doesn't start until third grade.  Also, I work with children on the Autism Spectrum and for my students who are more academic I feel that it would be a great way for them to work on their reading skills.  Though my students day looks a lot different than the regular education students day looks, because it is very individualized to each of their specific needs, once the students are in the grade that these different programs start Mrs. Colby is always sure to set up accounts for them so that they have access as well.  It was nice getting to see what types of things the students in my school are working on, when they use technology, because I don't get to see a lot of it working in such a specialized program as the Autism Support Program.  

Interview with Mrs. Colby:

How often do you use technology in the classroom?

·         at least once a week

·         some teachers use them multiple times a week depending on what they are working on in class

What obstacles do you run into when trying to use technology in the classroom?

·         with the old computers they constantly give us issues

·         they are slow and have a tough time connecting to the internet consistently

What is your plan if the technology does not work as you expect it to?

·         thankfully we now have the Chromebooks which do not cause us any issues so far

·         before the Chromebooks if the technology wasn't working sometimes we had no choice but to put it all away and try again tomorrow

·         the classroom teachers are great and always had an alternative activity ready when this happened

What types of technology do you use in your classroom and why?

·         computers and overhead projectors are the most commonly used technology within the school

Do all of the teachers in your school use technology at the same level?

·         No, some are more comfortable using it than others

·         due to the large population of special ed students within the school technology is used at all different levels throughout the school

Growing Up Online in this Digital Nation

May 5, 2014

Your thoughts on multitasking.  Do you agree?  Can you multitask? Do you disagree?

I feel that most people are able to multitask to an extent but it certainly isn't the most effective or efficient way to get things done.  In the video Digital Nation a professor spoke about quizzes he gives to his students that should be easy as long as they are paying full attention to the lecture and/or readings done for the class.  Throughout classes the students are not only listening to the lecture but they are also checking their email, going on their Facebook and chatting with their friends.  This professor found that because the students are multitasking, throughout lectures, they are only averaging a 75% on these quizzes.  I feel that this shows, yes a person can multitask, but they cannot be 100% efficient in each task they are pursuing.  I know that for myself when I try and do too many things at once I get distracted and do not tend to complete anything I intended to at that time. 

Is there an addiction happening in society today with technology or is it just a new way of living?   Should we be concerned?

I feel that there is some addiction happening, in society today, when it comes to technology.  In the video Growing Up Online it was stated that back in 2007 90% of teenagers were online.  I found a recent study that states that "93% of teens ages 12-17 go online, as do 93% of young adults ages 18-29. Three quarters (74% of all adults ages 18 and older go online." With the availability of technology at our fingertips it makes it so easy for everyone, who wants it, to be online and connected to the whole world at all times.  I see it as a bit of an addiction because there are some people who cannot be more than an arm's length away from their phone, a computer or a tablet without feeling like they lost their best friend.  It is sad to me that, with the evolution of technology today, we, as a society, have a tough time just living in the moment and enjoying the people and things that are physically in front of us in the moment.  I found it interesting that in the video Digital Nation it talked about a free 2 week Internet Rescue camp they put on for people who are too overtaken with being on the internet.  The people who attend this camp are cut off from all technology for 2 weeks and are immersed in activities such as jump roping and other outdoor and collaborative games.  I feel that if technology wasn't creating some sort of addiction in people that camps such as this wouldn't be created.  I feel that there should be some concern and we need to be making sure, as teachers, parents, and role models to children, that we are teaching them that technology is not the end all be all.

Do parents of today have any idea what their kids are doing online?  Whose job is it to teach them the safety and digital responsibility?  Parents/Teachers/ Community/Government??

I think that there are some parents who monitor what their children are doing online very carefully and there are others who do not.  I feel that safety and digital responsibility should start with a child's parents.  Most children's first exposure to technology is within their own homes and because I feel that parents/guardians need to be taking the necessary steps to make sure they are being safe and responsible on the internet.  I also feel that because technology is becoming so prevalent within schools today that teachers need to be reinforcing the safety and responsibility of using the internet. Within the video Growing Up Online it is sad to learn that there are some kids hiding such things are cyber bullying and eating disorders from their parents and getting hints and tips through the internet on how they can "become a better anorexic" or ways to end their lives.  If parents were able to better monitor their child's internet use some of these things could be avoided. 

Work Cited:

"Hack Productivity - Multitasking is Like Kissing Your Elbow." The Best Email App for GTD Productivity and Inbox Zero Hack Productivity Multitasking is Like Kissing Your Elbow Comments. N.P., n.d. Web. 5 May 2014.  <http://iqtell.com/2013/06/hack-productivity-multitasking-is-like-kissing-your-elbow/>.

"Watch Online 90 minutes." PBS. PBS. n.d. Web. 3 May 2014.  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/view/

"Growning Up Online." PBS. PBS. n.d. Web. 3 May 2014. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/view/

"Teen Internet Use Graphic." Pew Research Center RSS. N.P., n.d. Web 5 May 2014.  http://www.pewresearch.org/millennials/teen-internet-use-graphic/

"Half of Parents Join Facebook Just to Monitor Their Kids Online." Parenting. N.p., n.d. Web 5 May 2014.  http://www.parenting.com/blogs/children-and-technology-blog/jeana-lee-tahnk/parents-facebook

Diigo.com Links

May 4, 2014

I was looking through some links that I have bookmarked over the years which I use in my classroom and thought some of these sites might be useful to you in your classroom or with your own children.  I have also posted a couple sites that I happened to come across that I felt were interesting.  I have posted these in our EDU 533 Diigo group for everyone to take a look at as well.  

1. Free Technology for Teachers

• This is a blog post written by Richard Byrne that talks about 10 different platforms teachers and students can use to create their own websites.  Within each explanation of the platforms he provides his readers with helpful videos and links.

      

2. Busy Teacher's Cafe

• Busy Teacher's Cafe is a website that provides teachers with different monthly theme ideas, teaching strategies and resources, and many different printables. These resources are all free.  

3. The Autism Helper

• This is a website and blog written by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and Certified Special Education teacher named Sasha Long.  The purpose of her site is to provide others with tips and tricks on working with children on the Autism Spectrum.

4. Teachers Pay Teachers

 

• Teachers Pay Teachers is an amazing resource.  It allows teachers to share and sell materials that they spend their time creating.  There are many free items on this site as well as many items that can be purchased.  

5. Zac Browser

• Zac Browser was created by a set of grandparents who have a grandson on the Autism Spectrum.  It is a web browser that was designed specifically for children who have an Autism Spectrum disorder.  Click here if you would like to check out exactly what ZAC Browser is all about.