ITEC 7460 Professional Learning and Technology Innovation Reflection

In taking this course, I better understand what it takes to create a professional learning sessions. Conducting interviews, creating/giving/analyzing surveys, planning and evaluation are all aspects of creating a relevant professional learning session. Through this course I was able to use Google Forms to create and analyze results. I like how easy Google Forms is to use and how the results are graphed and can be easily downloaded to a PDF file to save and share with others. The professional learning plan helped me organize my information and helped me plan for the kind of professional learning session I needed to have. The evaluation piece helped me see why evaluation is so important and how to use evaluation to plan for future professional learning sessions.

Through this course I was able to take on the responsibility of creating a professional learning session. I was very nervous about this at the beginning. However, once I started getting into the class and realized what my professional learning need was, I was not as stressed. Since completing this professional learning session and giving a survey to those that attended, I have been able to identify my next professional learning session...Online Tools for the Classroom!

ITEC 7430: Final Post (Thing 22)

This course has been extremely helpful to me this year. We learned of so many tools that I can incorporate into the classroom. It was overwhelming at first, however, I have a little bank of Web 2.0 Tools that I can search for and use when appropriate. By taking this class, I realized how little technology I was previously incorporating into the classroom. I feel I've come a long way in what I can do in the classroom and what I can do for my fellow teachers. Taking this class also shows me that I need to stay up to date on new technology that is useful for educators. Technology is changing quickly and I want to keep up as much as possible. I want my students and other teachers to know what they are missing! I've incorporated a few tools this semester and I look forward to making use of more next school year!

ITEC 7445: Final Post

There is so much I've learned this semester that I do not know where to begin! First of all, the whole ADDIE design helps me to plan my lessons/activities/tasks with more structure and higher order thinking. When searching for activities on the Internet, I try to keep the ADDIE model in mind so that I can find an effective task.

I really enjoyed the web design and universal design information as it makes we think about what I am creating, the reason for it, and who will be using it. Keeping my audience in mind will keep me on track when creating a webpage, task, newsletter, etc... I think Universal Design was the biggest eye opener for me as I realized I had originally only had a small portion of my audience in mind when creating a webpage. In order to make my site accessible to all and easy to read, I needed to know who my audience was and their needs in completing the task.

Learning about ADDIE, web design, universal design, audio and video will help me as an educator and technology facilitator as I will be the one colleagues go to for help when they need ideas, information and lessons. I can help fellow teachers combine content knowledge and technology to help move our students to the next level in learning. Many teachers want to use more technology in the classroom, they just do not know where to start. Using technology in the classroom is much easier when there is someone teachers can go to for advice, help and guidance. Knowing what I know now from the few classes I've taken, I feel so much more prepared to try new things in the classroom. I want to be the teacher that continues to look ahead and move forward in education. I want to engage my students in learning and I want them to enjoy it. I think having this foundation will help me be a better teacher for my students and a better colleague to those I work with.

7445: Webquest progress

So far, I have the shell of my webquest complete. I see where I want to go....I just need to log onto the site and complete it. I am still working on getting the online program for the design part in place. I want my students to build their project in the program and I am working on getting the program available on all computers in the lab and on laptops. I am still in the building process of the webquest and plan on using it post CRCT. I'm sharing my ideas with the other two math teachers I work with and they are giving input and are excited to use the webquest in the classroom.

ITEC 7430: Thing 21

Slideshare makes sharing PPT, PDFs, and documents so easy. I found a few slideshare posts that I can use in my classroom on the Civil Rights Movement as well as some lesson plans. I also found slides on baking cookies....yum!!
This site is great for students that may be out and miss PPT material. Instead of borrowing another students notes(which others can barley read anyway), the absent student can be given the link to view the PPT on his or her own time. I can also post a link to the PPT on my Homework Hotline where parents can see what is going on in the classroom.

Jing it ppt

View more presentations from AChuppTeaches.

ITEC 7430: Thing 20 Jing!

Jing is rather interesting. I was talking to my team teacher about it and she loves the tool. She is already trying to get our tech person to download the web tool. I found Jing easy to use. The difficult part for me was accessing the URL and embed link. I eventually figured out that I need to go to screencast.com to access that information. By the way, the files in your screencast library are public unless you manually change them.

Jing can be used as a tutorial for students or other teachers. The tutorial I created shows teachers how to use freezingblue.com. It is a site I've used this year to help my students study. The flashcards that can be created can be used with iPhone, iPodTouch, Android and the Internet. I've shown a few 8th grade teachers how to use the site before, however, I will be able to reach more teachers by creating the tutorial.

I can use Jing to explain online related content to parents. I can make a video showing how to access and login to sites students should be using at home such as Study Island, OAS, ixl.com, etc... Instead of typing out directions, I can send a screencast which is more user friendly.

I can capture images from websites that I can use in presentations, handouts, etc...

I can also use Jing to comment on assignments my students turn in electronically.

ITEC 7430: Thing 19 Google Docs

Here is the link to my published presentation! I uploaded slides from a project we did last semester, edited it, changed the theme, and then published.

Google Docs seems to be user friendly. It is similar to formats we are already used to. Google docs would be great for keeping up with notes in class and sharing with others. I will share Google Docs with my students before they begin their 'Math Curse' project. Students are allowed to work together on the project and it never fails that someone's partner is out for a few days and cannot work on the project due to the partner having the flash drive. This will eliminate the need for flash drives as students can easily share the document.

Google docs can be useful if my team teachers or department teachers are working on a common document such as a quiz, test, brochure, letter, etc... The document can easily be edited by all parties and everyone will not when a change to the document has been made. I also liked how data can be collected with Google Docs. This makes for quick and easy surveys. I also noticed there was a drawing feature that I also played around with. I did not realize there were so many options within Google Docs.

ITEC 7430: Thing 18

The Classroom 2.0 site had a lot of relevant information for me as an educator looking to move forward in education. Educators can post questions on the site and gain feedback from people around the world. I was interested in seeing how people are using podcasts in education. Even someone asking a question gave me an idea for using podcasts in my classroom. The site seems user friendly to all grade levels. I looked at an educators question on photosharing and saw several responses and found four other sites/resources available for photosharing. This site is a great resource when I have questions or am looking for some new way to teach a particular topic.
I could share this site with teachers I work with that are looking to use technology in the classroom and just do not know how to go about it.

ITEC 7430: Thing 17

I found some great videos for my SS class on The Great Depression and the New Deal Programs. I actually used Zamzar to convert the YouTube file so that I could show it at school (as youtube is blocked). I've used Teachertube in the past but it is sometimes difficult to bring up as it takes a while to load. I like searching YouTube and TeacherTube videos as they are usually quick and to the point. Here is one of the New Deal videos I found...




In the past, I was able to download a Suite Life of Zack and Cody episode to share with the class on the Boston Tea Party. One of my students suggested the episode and I was able to find what I needed on TeacherTube. These sites are great for showing bits and pieces of related content at school without having to fast forward or show entire videos. We are able to cut out unrelated content to get to the important stuff.

ITEC 7430: Thing 15

I subscribe to "Georgia Stories" at school to use in my 8th grade Social Studies classroom. We use it on a regular basis and a majority of the podcasts pertain to our standards. Most of the podcasts I use are videos. This is my extent of use with podcasts.
I was searching podcasts and I found some that I could use in my 8th grade math classroom....if I really wanted to bore my kids. They were long and drawn out. I did see one podcast use Smartboard tools to present the podcast so, I know there has to be a way for me to use my Smartobard in creating lessons/notes podcasts for my students.
For personal use, I searched for "Learning Spanish" podcasts and came across a free subscription to "Coffee Break Spanish," which teaches small Spanish phrases in short 15-20 minute lessons. The lessons were relevant and easy to follow. I did find it funny that the couple teaching the lessons had Irish accents...

Multimedia Pre-Plan Idea

My project idea will be used in an 8th grade mathematics classroom following our unit on Geometry. Students must apply the elements learned in the geometry unit to construct a new 21st Century classroom using an online program that our technology teacher is going to help with. The following will be the task presented to students.

 

Task: The Governor of Georgia wants you to design the perfect 21 Century classroom. Whatever you design will be the blueprint for all future classrooms. Classrooms are to improve your education and who better to design the ideal learning environment than the students themselves!

1. You are to design the classroom of your choosing (Math, Science, Social Studies, English/Language Arts, Technology, Chorus, Spanish, Band, Gym or Art) using eight different geometric elements included in the eighth grade standards. These elements include parallel lines, perpendicular lines, right triangles, supplementary angles, complementary angles, vertical angles, alternate interior angles, alternate exterior angles, corresponding angles, similar and congruent polygons.
2. Your project will include a written summary describing your project, the geometric elements included, and how you went about creating your design. Proper grammar, mechanics, and terminology should be used in the summary.
3. A brief presentation will be given of all projects. Your ability to communicate clearly will be graded during this presentation as well as your knowledge regarding the relationships of the geometric elements in your design. 

ITEC 7430: Thing 14

Delicious! What a great way to keep up with my bookmarks. I downloaded my bookmarks from home and tomorrow I will download my bookmarks from school that I use daily. This is a great way to share my math and social studies links with the teachers I work with. This could be the place where teachers go first to find helpful online links. I can also inform my students of helpful tutorial/practice/informative links they can use to study or get further information on a topic. This is also a place students can use to get to links used most in school on a daily basis such as StudyIsland, OAS, the CMS homepage, etc... I've just begun using delicious and I've already sent several links to math teachers I work with telling them of the site and how to easily find the links we use most often. Here is my delicious site...http://www.delicious.com/achuppteaches

ITEC 7430: Thing 12

I created a wall at wallwisher.com. Here is my wall... http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/achuppteaches
The site uses post-its to create an online bulletin board to post announcements, keep notes or ask questions. 
I posted a question that students can answer to sum up the unit we are currently on. The site could also be used as a TOD or parking lot. It could also be a place to post announcements, upcoming dates, field trips, etc... If I wanted students to respond, they could use the "Open ID" selection and post their comments. I need to check to make sure the site is available at my school (it could be blocked as almost everything else is...).

Thing 11: Slide Shows!

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Here are the URL's:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsannino/5201927787/#/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/road_less_trvled/2507126451/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/road_less_trvled/2507128217/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dexxus/3559036856/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/georgikeith/122872433/

I used animoto for my slide show. I wanted my text to show up on my pictures but, I could only figure out how to get the text slide to come before the picture. I may try to do the slide show in slide.com as I saw several others slide shows with text on the photos. This was fun to do and a great idea as an option for my architectural design project my students will do in the geometry unit coming up!

 

ITEC 7430: Thing 10

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsannino/5201927787/

Created by: Maria Rosaria Sannino

 

Getting to know Flickr was interesting...I used the maps feature to type in my city and state to find pictures posted from my area. It was really cool as I saw several places I recognized and it was cool to see how the photos were edited/used. I do see several uses for Flickr in the classroom however, my school has the site blocked. I liked the idea of searching for random photos and then having students write a story based on the photo. I mentioned this to my ELA teacher and she is the one that pointed out the fact that Flickr is blocked. Guess we will have to see how we can get around the blocked feature to implement in the classroom. I'm hoping that as technology in education progresses, many of the sites that are blocked now will soon be unblocked for educational purposes. I know our school system wants to protect our students however, many of the sites we want to use for educational purposes are hindering us from moving forward.

I found the above picture by typing in "architectural_styles" into the search option of Flickr. I tried this search as our students will be doing an architectural design project coming up in our geometry unit. The project focuses on the student becoming the architect and creating a bridge, building, etc...using the concepts they learned in the geometry unit. The students must use at least 8 concepts learned in the unit and show their use in the architectural design.

ITEC 7445: HTML?

Learning about HTML code was definitely fun last Thursday. I've used a little bit of HTML code before but it was basically to change color and text. I see how it is useful for fixing small glitches or changing certain looks on websites however, I do not see myself creating a website from scratch using HTML code. I do see how this can be useful for me as a teacher when creating webpages, webquests, etc... I know this is something I will probably not need to show my students unless I have students that are interested in learning.

I also enjoyed learning about layouts and how they can impact a webpage, letter, newsletter, etc... The look of a webpage is very important to me. Having a webpage that is easy to look at and find information on is important for users to get what they want quickly. Jumbled webpages with too much information on the homepage is a turn off and can get very frustrating. Knowing just a little bit about HTML code will help me get the kinds of layouts and looks I want.

Thing Nine: Creative Commons

I have not seen the CC logo on any sites. Now that I now about it, I will begin looking! I think many of our students do not understand copyright and learning about CC may help them understand what copyright is.  I think if students create something of their own and then go to CC to get copyright information, they may understand the whole point of fair use of others materials. Students could create a poem, song, video and then go to CC to get the kind of protection they want for their work. 

To learn about copyright, students could search for photos on Flickr and view the kinds of protections set on the pictures they like. Students can click and on the picture and it will explain what the symbols mean beside the picture. 

 Knowing about CC and the possibility of adapting other peoples work will allow students to work together to improve on a presentation, song, movie, poem, story, etc... 

I really do not share content on the web but, I hope to as these classes are helping me venture out and do what I've never done before in my classroom.

ITEC 7430: Thing 7

 I liked the "Code Blue" wiki about a medial clinic created by 6th graders. The information is fun and interesting. Students take on an adult role and specialize in different medical fields based on their interests. Classes were separated by Blocks in the left hand margin and many links on the main page to aid in medical knowledge. I think the point of the wiki is to get students to post information on their medical specialty which are functions of the human body.

I also like the  "Salute to Seuss" wiki. It seems to be more for educators to utilize in the own classrooms. There was an activities page that had a lot of good information/lessons/activities for students. There was also a link to a webquest teachers can use with their students.

The wiki "Grazing for Digital Natives" was a bit overwhelming for me. It had a lot of information on the main page that makes me want to click off ASAP. I did like the side bar that had Workshop Resources for technology such as Ning, Podcasting, Networks, Google Tools, etc... They have almost anything you can think of. The wiki also linked to blogs that included relevant information. I think it is a wiki with great information, just not pleasing to the eye and stressful for me to look at.

There may be wikis in my future. I will need to get used to wikis. At first glance (for the ones I've seen) wikis are not pleasing to the eye and sometimes I find it difficult to take in all of the information given on the page.

I have a few ideas of how I might use a wiki in my Math and Social Studies classrooms. For math, it may be useful to have a wiki to post unit information for student access, math tutorials, games, etc... In Social Studies, I could use a wiki for classroom projects/lessons. In our Native American unit, I could have students create a wiki on the 6 different Native American groups we study. All the information can be found on one site and students can be responsible for posting correct and relevant information. I'm still trying to figure out what the best way to incorporate wikis in the classroom.

ITEC 7430: Thing 5

The item I found most interesting in my Google Reader was the Teacher Zone:Ten Marks website (http://teacher.tenmarks.com/). The reason it popped out to me was because I saw the word MATH! I'm always looking for ways to make math more interesting and to find ways to incorporate technology. I like this site because it has relevant 8th grade material that I can use. There are videos explaining many of the topics covered in 8th grade math. I could use this site with students who were out the day new material was taught or I can use it to help those that did not understand the material the first time it was taught. A sub could also show a video for material needed when I am out. There are also other grade level videos available that I can use for my students that need lower or higher ability work. This is definitely a site I can share with the math department at my school.

ITEC7430: Thing 3

People write blogs and update them regularly when they are interested in the blogging topic. When blogging, we show a lot of our personality. Others that have similar personalities or interests follow our blogs. I noticed several educational blogs; blogs informing people of how education is changing, why homework is/is not assigned and blogs by subject or classes taken. People follow or subscribe to blogs in order to communicate with others going through similar experiences or those that have similar concerns.

I think blog reading is different from other types of reading as it can include personal experiences. We not only read published articles, we read real life experiences, ideas, trials, success, etc...When blogging, we can give feedback, encouragement and support. We can discuss topics that are relevant to our situation and maybe get ideas from others that we have not already thought of.  I tend to see blogs as a more laid back form of discussion.

I see blog writing as more conversational than report. It is more opinionated and a way to express feelings, thoughts, successes, trials, and failures. Blogging allows ownerships. To some people, a blog is like a diary that others can comment on. Keeping a blog throughout the years can show growth in certain areas, depending on the blog.

Commenting on blogs gives the blogger other ideas, pros, cons, encouragement and support. It is a form of communication on which people are passionate about. I see it as a group working together. Having several ideas makes the end product more meaningful and productive.

I believe there is a blogging literacy not only with blogs, but in web browsing and online reading. Students need to know how to site, link, navigate, explore and use different medias. When blogging, students are responsible for their published work and there are so many skills and rules students should know before writing for public eyes. 

Blogging is a great way to facilitate learning. Archiving blogs is a way to track progress and growth from year to year. Students can reflect and evaluate on how far they've come and where they are going. Students can learn from each other and can learn to respect the comments and opinions of others. Students are not just limited to classroom discussions. Conversations can happen between students that are on opposite sides of the world. Blogs may also allow students to get in touch and have conversations with experts; conversations not possible in the classroom.

ITEC 7430: Thing 4

For each post required in the classroom, students need a format in which to complete posts to contribute to engaged responses. In teaching 8th grade, I know my students need structure when beginning something new. I think students will eventually get the hang of the format and it will become easier and easier to write and respond on their blogs.

Criteria	Unacceptable	Acceptable	Target
Blog Posts by Students	Little or no contribution from student. Entries do not reference classroom discussion or web/readings. No personal opinion stated.	Strong contribution from student that shows basic understanding of topic. Key issues mentioned from class discussion or web/readings. Personal opinion is supported with examples from class discussion.	Strong contribution from student that shows thorough understanding of topic. Original ideas. Key issues mentioned from class discussions or web/readings that include thought provoking questions or statements. Personal opinion well organized supported with facts beyond the classroom discussion.
Comments or Responses that students leave on other student blogs	Responds to other blogs with disrespectful and/or negative comments.	Responds to other blogs with positive, respectful comments that add value and contribute to discussion.	Consistently responds to other blogs with positive, respectful, and thought provoking comments that add value and contribute to discussion.

Blog Resources:

This site helped me come up with the blog post by students. 

http://www.rcampus.com/rubricshowc.cfm?code=M44A63&sp=yes&

This site helped me develop the comments/responses that students post on other blogs.  http://www2.uwstout.edu/content/profdev/rubrics/blogrubric.html

ITEC 7445: Design and Development Post 1/23/2011

There is no doubt in my mind that the design and development information will definitely help us as Ed Tech Teachers. We know more than just the basics of our concentration subjects. We know a certain depth of these subjects as we are to teach others. In order to teach other effectively, we should know more. I also believe this is true with design and development. In development, we are able to piece together a lesson that will allows students to go into higher order thinking. These are the skills students need to move forward and learn at a deeper level. Development also allows us to improve our teaching strategies with the lesson we are implementing. Design will allow the lesson/site to look a certain way that is easy to understand, pleasing to the eye and maybe hold our students attention.
Students and fellow colleagues will look to us to be technology literate. We want to be able to share our ideas and support our school in moving forward with technology in education.

ITEC7430: Thing One - Web 2.0

Last semester, my team teachers started twittering our students/parents. My team teacher, Mrs. F,  and I are trying to move forward in incorporating technology in to the classroom.  We wanted a way to communicate with our students outside of the classroom. Mrs. F had the idea of using Twitter. She made a Twitter account and had students follow her tweets. Then our other team teacher and I set up our Twitter accounts and now we are all tweeting with our students. We keep our students/parents informed of upcoming tests, assignments, events, deadlines, websites, study links and more. This has increased the number of students that turn in homework, study and and has helped parents stay in touch with what their child is doing at school.

Using twitter is just one small step we took to move forward. I know we have so much more to learn. Mrs. F is using wiki pages, Podcasts and videocasts and I will hopefully be up to date with her by the end of this semester. I would like for the educators in my system to have a better way to share ideas they have on technology and the web use in the classroom. I think sharing ideas can have a great impact on changing education. I want my school to take steps in moving forward with web tools in education because I feel like many students are being lost with traditional teaching styles.