Week 5 is coming to an end and with it goes ED620. Module 5 did not include an exploration section, but focused on creation. I developed a website (which I havenot done since 8th grade) to use for a Professional Development Day. My Final Project introduced Blogs&Blogging to teachers at the Elementary Level. It allowed teachers to browse supporting literature, as well as ,specific blogging platforms. Often teachers do not include technology into instruction as they feel it is not always worth the hassle. Yes, technology can be a pain when it doesn't work or gives you a hard time! But, there are so many amazing benefits to integrating the slightest bit of technology into instruction. Blogging can be an opportunity for teachers to ease technology into their instruction at their preferred pace.
BC Blogging
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Friday, June 27, 2014
The World of Digital Storytelling
This week I had the opportunity to explore Digital Story
tools, as well as, create my very own Digital Story! At first, the thought of creating
my very own story felt overwhelming! However, using the resources developed by
Alan Levine, I was able to decide on a topic and get to writing! Creating a
Digital Story was both enjoyable and at times frustrating. The pro of Digital
Story making, is that it really allows you
to be creative as you make the story your own. For my assignment, I decided to
use Storybird. I was introduced to Storybird during a Professional Development
day. We were provided with little time to truly explore the website in depth. I
figured this was the perfect opportunity to revisit the site and learn about it
by “doing” (creating my own Digital Story). In order to incorporate this tool
into my classroom, I will need to create several more example stories, to
further my understanding of the specific Digital Tool I am using. Digital Story
tools offer the opportunity for educators to liven up their everyday
instruction.
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Wikiquotes
Team Work Makes the Dream Work
As we begin our first group project for the course, having
time to explore web resources that support group collaboration was extremely
beneficial. PiratePad and TinyChat were both resources I was not familiar with
prior to the Module 3 Exploration. Both are easy to access, set up, and most
importantly are Free.99! Although we are
not required to use the resources from Module 3 for our group collaboration,
being introduced to new resources, and testing them out, allows us to see how
easy it can be to include Internet resources in our graduate education as well
as our very own classrooms.
Monday, June 16, 2014
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Information Overload!
The amount of information we explored in Module 2 has my
head spinning! The majority of the information was brand new to me and will
definitely be revisited to further my knowledge and skills. The “Googlemania”
section was extremely beneficial, as I’ve had a Google account for many years
and was completely unaware of all the resources readily available for my use. I appreciate that this course forces you to
explore topics, you think you are familiar with, only to discover how many
tools and resources you have been missing out on!
As I continue to familiarize myself with the Web 2.0
resources, I hope to gradually incorporate the resources in my lessons. I have
both sites bookmarked and plan to continue exploration to further understand
the benefits and resources offered by both sites!
The exploration topic that received a strong reaction from me
was the Twitter section. I use my Twitter account as recreational social media.
I tweet and follow friends, celebrities, news accounts etc., But I had never
considered that I could be following education-related accounts. My favorite
section of this exploration topic was reading about how teachers used Twitter
with their students for instructional purposes. I LOVED the teacher that
began a story by tweeting a line and allowing his students as well as students
across the world to add on to the story via tweets. Seeing how social media can be beneficial in
the classroom, allows teachers to open their minds to technology and all the
resources it offers.
Saturday, June 14, 2014
My 35 Favorite Free Apps for Teaching | Scholastic.com
Genia Connell, a third grade teacher, shares her favorite educational apps! She provides a brief explanation of each app. Many of the Apps she posts are new to me. There is even a Common Core App...who would of thought?!
My 35 Favorite Free Apps for Teaching | Scholastic.com
My 35 Favorite Free Apps for Teaching | Scholastic.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)