Final Reflection

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Throughout the semester I have learned valuable information that will allow me to incorporate technology into my future classroom. Prior to this course, I did not realize how much teachers and students rely on technology. I knew that many teachers used interactive whiteboards and computer games but I was unaware that you could use technology tools to enhance learning in the classroom.

I have enjoyed learning about all of the tools that can be used to bring technology to the classroom. I believe that all of the knowledge I have gained will definitely help me as I enter my internship and future classroom. In retrospect, I think that the most important information I obtained this semester involved the interactive whiteboard and Activinspire software. I plan on teaching in an elementary school and I know that interactive whiteboards are becoming a popular classroom feature. Interactive whiteboards can be used on a daily basis if you can create flipcharts that engage your students with the material.

I also believe that the web 2.0 tools are excellent classroom features. Nearly all of the tools are easy to navigate which allows your students to use the tools. Each tool can give teachers a unique way to share or present information with students. I am thankful that I am knowledgeable of so many technology tools and I believe that this will give me an advantage in a teaching career.

Wordle

Wordle is a fun tool that can be used to create a 'word cloud'. Wordles can be used to highlight specific words that are important in a subject or scramble the names of your students in the classroom. You can use the wordle to hang in the classroom or decorate the front of each student's notebooks. Above is an example of a wordle. This word cloud was created from the Preamble in the U.S. Constitution. I copied and pasted the preamble into the wordle generator and it chose the most frequently used words in the text.

Wordle is a great web 2.0 tool to use in any classroom. The word clouds can be used several ways in the classroom. They are perfect to place on the front of your students' folders to highlight important terms used in each subject. You can also create a word cloud of your students' names to hang in the classroom. Words clouds can serve many purposes and I think they are a great addition to any classroom!

Digital Stories

Creative writing and storytelling both play a huge role in most elementary classrooms. Whether students are using a daily journal or creating their own stories, writing and creativity are classroom essentials. Students are always encouraged to think creatively and outside the box when they write. What could be more creative than allowing your students to turn their stories into a movie?

Digital storytelling is the new way of intertwining technology with storytelling. Digital stories can be composed of pictures, video clips, text, recorded audio narrations or music. The stories can vary in lengths but most digital stories range between two and ten minutes. There are no limits to the topics of digital stories. They can be based on personal experiences, historical events, fictional tales, or educational material.

Digital stories are also very simple to create. All you need is access to the internet and a program that will allow you to create you movie. I have only worked with iMovie to create digital stories and it is an excellent program. You can easily navigate the program and drop in pictures, videos or music in seconds. If you have access to iMovie it is an excellent tool to use in a classroom. You can teach your students how to use the program and allow them to share their stories with the class in a movie format. I plan on using digital stories frequently in my classroom because it is a fun and creative new way for students to share their ideas and stories.

Glogster

Are you looking for a more 'green' way for your students to create posters and flyers? Look no more! Glogster is the perfect web 2.0 tool to create online presentations. Glogster is an online resource that allows you to create virtual posters or flyers that are called glogs. The glogs are an excellent tool for teachers or students to present information. The website allows you to select a template to begin your glog. You can then drop in pictures, video clips, sound, links, or text. The possibilities with glogster are endless.

Glogster is an easy tool to incorporate in your classroom. Teachers can use glogs to share information with students and allow them to use computers. Glogs are also an excellent way for students to present information with the class. I plan on using glogs for my students to share what they have learned with the class. Students can work in groups to gather information on a particular subject. Once they have gathered information and pictures the group can create a poster and present it to the class. Glogster gives not only gives students an opportunity to use technology it saves expenses on poster supplies.

Animoto

 

Animoto is another great Web 2.0 tool that can be used in your classroom. Animoto allows you to create a short video of pictures, text, or video clips. It seems like a difficult process to create your own video, but with animoto it is easy! All you have to do is think of a topic, collect a few pictures, and head to the animoto website. Once you are on the website you can choose a theme for your video. Then you drop in your pictures, text, or video clips. The last step is to choose music for you video. Once you are finished you can publish your animoto and share it with everyone! One of the animotos I created about adjectives and adverbs is above.

Animoto seems great but how can I use animoto in my classroom? 

This is probably what you are thinking. Animoto can be used in your classroom in several ways. I plan on using animoto to introduce new material to my class. These short, upbeat videos will get your students excited about the material your are going to discuss. You can also use animoto to recap material you have covered. You can even create a video as a study guide or a review. I would love to watch fun videos to help me learn! As you can see, animoto is a fun and easy way to bring technology to your classroom!

Scavenger Hunt

Orange Sign

Scavenger hunts are an excellent way for students to work together and have fun while learning. A scavenger hunt can be used for nearly any subject and they are easy to create. All you have to do is think of a subject. I recently participated in a scavenger hunt of colors so I will use that as an example. Once you have a subject you can compile a list of items you want your students to find. My scavenger hunt listed 10 different colors. Next, make sure you create specific instructions for your students. The scavenger I went on asked us to find 10 items that were the colors listed. We then had to take a picture of the items we found. After we found our items we uploaded our photos to a computer. Once your scavenger hunt photos are uploaded they can be shared with the rest of the class through google presentation.

I think this activity is great for the classroom because it breaks the norm of daily work. Your students will be excited to get out of the classroom and explore. They may not even realize that they are learning while they hunt the school. Here are more pictures from my color scavenger hunt.

Green Turtle

Black Table

Red Light

Interactive Whiteboards

Using an interactive whiteboard in the classroom is an excellent way to engage students through technology. You can create a flip chart for any subject you can imagine. The unique tools offered through ActivInspire allow the students to interact with the material presented on each slide. An interactive whiteboard is a great tool for the classroom and the flipcharts can even be accessed from your computer at home! That means that teachers can work on their flipcharts at home or you can post your flipcharts on your classroom website so your students can review the material at home.
 

Interactive whiteboards are a great resource for teachers to have in a classroom. The ActivInspire software is even free so teachers can create hundreds of flipcharts with no cost. Learning how to use ActivInspire and the interactive whiteboards has been my favorite part of the technology course thus far. I believe that interactive whiteboards are going to be a classroom essential within the next few years and necessary for teachers to know how to use the software.

Digital Diagram

Do you remember your teachers asking you to brainstorm or draw a brainstorm web when you were in school? I am sure that your answer is yes! Brainstorming is a staple concept used in all grades from elementary to high school. Whether your teacher instructs the class to brainstorm out loud or on a piece of paper it is used frequently in every classroom.

Digital diagrams are great way to incorporate the common concept of brainstorming and technology. A digital diagram allows you to organize and categorize ideas just like the brainstorming webs you can create by hand. Digital diagrams can be used by teachers to show connections and introduce new material. The diagrams can also be used by students to show that they understand the connections between ideas or to brainstorm! The possibilities are endless with this excellent tool!

Midpoint Check

Integrating technology in the classroom is a challenge! I never imagined there would be so many opportunities to use the internet to enhance learning. I have enjoyed learning about all of the internet tools thus far and I believe it will be a great source of knowledge as I begin teaching. I have spoke to several teachers about integrating technology in the classroom and they all agree that they wish they had the opportunity to take a technology course. I am excited and looking forward to learning more about integrating technology in the classroom!

Resource Wiki

As I have mentioned in an earlier post, a Wiki is a simple way to share information with friends, family, or anyone that has access to your Wiki. In my technology class we are creating a Wiki that will be a great resource for us as future teachers. My groups Wiki is for an elementary school teacher. We have divided our Wiki into the subjects we will teach in the future. Under each subject we post a website and give a brief description of how we could use the site. We also have a teacher's only page that lists websites that gives advice or ideas for teachers to use in the classroom. This will be a great tool for all of us to hang on to in the future. The good news is that it is online so we do not have to worry about losing any of the information. All we need is the internet and we will have access to a ton of great ideas!

More Technology!

Before my technology class, I was aware of a few tools on the internet that I could use to share information with friends and family. Most of these tools included social media such as Facebook and Twitter. I had no idea that tools like Wiki and Google Docs could be used to share information in similar ways.

Google Docs
I became familiar with Google Docs when I first joined a sorority. We would send them out to sign up for t-shirts and various events. Other than a sign up list I did not think much about them. During my technology course I learned that you could use Google Docs to create a grocery list, plan a trip, or edit a paper! Google Docs gives you the ability to upload or create files on the site and then invite friends to join you and add on, edit, or erase the document. The possibilities with Google Docs is endless and I have become addicted to this tool. You should try it out for yourself!

Wiki
A Wiki is very similar to a Google Doc. You can share information and invite others to join in on the process. The main difference is that Wikis are everywhere!  Google Docs are for personal use while creating a Wiki is like creating your own website for anyone and everyone to see. You can create a Wiki for any topic you like with anyone you like. The process is simple and all you need to do is create, edit and save! I recommend using Wikis in the classroom for presenting or sharing group projects with the other students in the classroom. This is just one out of a thousand ways you can use Wiki in your classroom.

Questions

• Have you ever used a Google Doc or Wiki in a class? If so, how did you use it?
• What are creative ways you can use these tools in the classroom?

Web 2.0 Tool

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Storybird

I recently participated in an activity that allowed me to explore a web 2.0 tool. The tool that was assigned to my group is called Storybird. I had never heard of the tool before the project but I will not forget about it in the future. The site is filled with tons of storybirds that you can browse through and share with friends and family. What is the most unique about storybird? You can actually create your own storybird! It is easy to start your own storybird all you need is a little creativity. Once you are done you can publish it and share with everyone. You can even have you storybird printed as a book. I was impressed with the web 2.0 tool. This will be an excellent tool to use in my future classroom!

Questions

• Have you ever used storybird in a classroom?
• What are some creative ideas to incorporate storybird in the classroom?

Inquiry Based Research

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The internet is becoming a common feature in classrooms across the country. Elementary school students today have never lived without computers and high speed internet. That makes it even more important to incorporate technology into the classroom as much as possible. Using technology in the classroom will enhance children's learning because it will capture their attention and make learning fun.

The inquiry based research activity is an easy way to allow your students to use the internet. Creating an inquiry based activity is very simple and also allows you to control the websites the students access. The first step to create your inquiry based activity is to find a safe, user friendly website. The website could include videos, facts, or just games. Once you choose the activity you can create a detailed instruction page that includes the URL of the website you chose. The next step it to create a worksheet or quiz to go along with the website infomation. You can allow your students to work individually or collaborate. Here is an example of an inquiry based activity:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rE8rQ_v73Fvgoa5Dm-xcfWa_utPmkaFf7upIAEQ1EmQ/edit

I really enjoy inquiry based activities and I think they are an excellent way to incorporate technology in the classroom. Try one out for yourself!

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Questions???

• What are other simple ways to bring technology into the classroom?
• Have you ever used an inquiry based activity?
• If so, do you think they are effective?

WebQuests

Bringing Technology to the Classroom


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Are you looking for an easy way to incorporate technology into your classroom? Webquests are the way to go! A webquest is a fun, interactive activity for students of all grades and curriculums. I recently explored webquests by completing a webquest. The best way to learn is to jump in and try one out for yourself. All you have to do is go to QuestGarden.com and start exploring.

Why Use a WebQuest?
WebQuests are fun and exciting and there is bound to be a webquest out there to fit your needs. A webquest includes an introduction, task, process, evaluation, and conclusion. The introduction introduces the students to the webquest and gives the background of the activity. The task gives a detailed description of what the students should accomplish. The process section gives the students directions to complete the quest. A webquest also provides an evaluation for the activity and a conclusion to wrap up the activity. Webquests allow students to work together, brainstorm, and think on a higher level to complete the quest. I believe that webquests are a great way to bring technology to the classroom and I highly recommend the activity!

Evaluating a Website

Is this a spoof or a credible site?

Google. This word represents the most powerful search engine readily available to the public. Google gives you the ability to search any topic you could possibly imagine and receive thousands of results within seconds. From my own experience surfing the web, I click on the first few links that pop up and accept the information that is printed on the screen. If it's on the internet it has to be true, right? This is a common misconception with today's generations. We are not taught how to evaluate the credibility of websites so we assume that if it has a website it must be right. Evaluating a website is not necessarily as tricky as it may seem. As teachers, we must be knowledgeable of the process of evaluating websites so we can use the internet as a resource in the classroom.

I recently participated in an website evaluation activity in my technology course. The activity made me aware of how easy it is to be mislead by information published on the internet and how it is even easier for anyone to create their own website. I enjoyed the evaluation activity because it will be helpful to use in the future to make sure the websites I use in the classroom are credible and classroom friendly. The activity included a large list of criteria to help determine the credibility of a website. Although I may not be able to remember every detail of the activity in the future there were a few key rules that stood out. These are 4 key questions that I believe are essential to ask yourself while evaluating a website:

1. When was the website last updated?
It is important that the websites you want to incorporate into the classroom are recent and contain updated information. If websites are updated on a daily or weekly bases it means that are well maintained and more likely to be credible and recent information. If a website has not been changed within the last year it probably does not contain the most recent and accurate information.

2. Who is the author of the site?
A credible website most likely has a contact page or a history that provides information and sponsors to support the credibility of the author. Many websites may not have a single author but a corporation or partners that may be well known. It is easy for an author to 'fudge' their resume so it is always smart to double check the credibility of the author if the website is questionable.

3. Are all of the links active?
 Dead links on a website may be a give away that the site is a spoof. When evaluating a website it is important to check all of the links to make sure they are active. It is also important to check and see if the site is undergoing a lot of 'construction'; if so, the construction should only be temporary. Websites that are under construction for several weeks are not well maintained and the author may not be a reliable source.

4. Is the website professional? (layout, grammar, etc.)
The overall appearance of the website is a huge part of determining the credibility of the site. Reliable websites should not have grammatical errors in the text and content. They should also appear professional and well maintained. A website is most likely a spoof or unreliable if there are noticeable errors and an unprofessional appearance.

These 4 questions are an easy guide to keep in mind while evaluating websites. I know that I will reference the guidelines I learned from the evaluation activity and hope that are helpful in the future.

All About Me!

Hello!!

My name is Courtney Harbin and I am from Knoxville, Tennessee. I grew up in a grand little town called Halls and I graduated from Halls High School in 2009. I have always loved Knoxville, for the most part, so I decided to stay close to home for college and attend the University of Tennessee. I am now a senior at UT studying psychology and elementary education. I start my internship in Anderson County in the fall of 2013. I have recently decided to be additionally endorsed in the middle grades so when I finish my program I will be certified in K-8. I do not want to wish away my senior year but I cannot wait to start my internship!

Why did I choose elementary education? I get this question a lot to tell you the truth. People are always telling me 'You won't make enough money to make a living' and 'Those kids are going to drive you crazy and you won't want any kids of your own'.  I wish I had a penny for every time someone has tried to talk me out of teaching; I would be very wealthy to say the least. So to answer the question, I want to become a teacher because I love children and I love teaching. That sounds cliche but I that's the reason. I have always had a passion for working with children and I realized that pursuing a career in teaching was the perfect opportunity to have a job that I will love waking up to every day.

If you hang around me for more than 15 minutes you will quickly learn that I am always on the go. If I am not in school or at work I am trying to find something to do to fill my free time. I don't like lounging around or being by myself so I am always with friends or family finding something to do. I love being outside so I try to go to the lake or pool as much as possible. If I am not outside I a pinterest-aholic and I have probably made enough crafts to decorate my entire apartment complex. I also enjoy cooking, or attempting to cook. I am still working out a few kinks but I am starting to get the hang of it. That's about all you need to know about me for now!