Back to Tool #7 part 2

Ok I have been messing around with this photostory thing and this is due tom. I finally got a video in, but it is terrible! For some reason i could only put in 5 pictures and only had this mp3 (my other stuff is on itunes). Please excuse this but I am glad I finally got it to work!!

Back to tool #7

Reflection

I did it!!! I really enjoyed exploring all of the tools! The one that was really foreign to me was the digital bookmarking. I know it was probably not one of the most engaging ones, but it will be completely usable for me and my classroom. I could tag sites based on the theme we are working on for easy access to the kiddos or even teach them the basics of "searching" or "google-ing" by using these titles. It is an online file cabinet and I love new ways to organize for sure!

Now that I have completed, I have these ideas that keep popping into my head on ideas for technology in my classroom. It will make my lessons much more engaging and the kids will have so much fun.

I did have one unexpected outcome of this experience though... I actually enjoyed learning about these new tools and really will be able to use them in my classroom!

Tool #11

Just as we have to teach our kids to be safe and courteous when interacting with others, we have to now teach the same tools in the world of technology. I do believe in the setting I am in that I would primarily focus on internet safety; just as one of my main focuses in the classroom is safety within our environment. I would make sure they knew how important it is to not give out personal information without permission from an adult. From there I would probably attempt to integrate more technology into our daily routine and build off of the skills they have to help them become more technology savvy.

Tool #10

I reviewed the "Read to Me" app which is a collection of Children's books read aloud with visuals to go along with it. This would be very helpful for my students. I believe the more exposure they have to books, the better. It would help develop vocabulary as well as aide in enhancing their reading skills. I do not have an iphone so I was not able to play with it as much as I would like to.
I believe adding itouches or ipads to the classroom would be a huge benefit! It is so user-friendly and very engaging. Maybe I can test them out this next year???

Tool #9

Skype would be such a great tool to use in my classroom! How awesome would it be to speak with other classrooms across the country? I could also use this to interview people in different fields of work. Especially during a time of budget cuts this would be a cheap way to still experience different people in different places.

This is the first time I have ever played with Jing but I think with more practice this would be a great tool to use for me personally. It is much easier that taking a picture, downloading it, then emailing it. I think I will play with this much more.

Tool #8 part 3

I had fun checking out all of the educational videos. I found really cute ones in TeacherTube but had problems trying to embedd them. There was a teacher that created a video with her class called "Hopes and Dreams of First Grade" where the kids drew pictures and each had one goal to accomplish by the end of the year. What a great idea! The kids could look back at the end of the year and see if they have accomplished their goal.
As I searched on Youtube I found some cute songs that I could use with my kiddos. I have one child in particular that really loves music and believe she could really benefit from this. I hope to use many more videos next year with an ActivBoard...