I still believe that an educator in the 21st century has endless possibilities to include technology in their classroom. This can be done through teaching a lesson, helping a student who is struggling with a subject, or as a project/assignment. I believe that part of a teacher’s job is to use technology in their classroom for the students’ benefit since this is turning into a technology based world.
SmartBoards can be used in every subject and are a great way to get students up and moving while they are learning. SmartBoards are a digital version of the traditional chalk or white board, but it is connected to a computer or laptop and can save drawn images/texts, play movies, and can go on the internet. SmartBoards can be used at any grade level and for any subject. They also make it easier for students who missed the class to get the notes they need. If the teacher writes the notes on the SmartBoard and saves the notes to a file, he or she can then open the file and print off the notes for that student.
At the ACTEM Conference in Augusta this fall, I sat in on a session about Senteo Student Response Systems. This is a type of test taking device that makes tests and quizzes feel more like a game then a test or quiz. A Senteo is a remote like device where students enter their answers to a test or quiz (the questions can be on a handout, on the board, or spoken by the teacher). This device cannot be used for short answer questions or essays. It is used for yes and no, true and false, multiple choice, multiple answer, survey, and math questions. I felt this device would be best used in middle or high school since elementary school students don’t really take a lot of tests. The presenter said that his students enjoyed taking tests and quizzes on these electronic devices. He said that the first question they asked when he mentioned a test was coming up was whether they would be using the Senteos or not.
Just this week the second graders in my practicum placement started typing their written stories on laptops. I thought this was really neat because students are working with computers at a young age. Several of the second graders have had a little bit of experience with computers and typing already because they use one at home. The students also told me that they were first introduced to typing on a computer in first grade. It is crucial in this day in age to start students working with computers so early because computers are such a vital technology now.
Being technology savvy is a must in today’s world. The sooner people are introduced and get comfortable using different technologies, the better off they will be in the future. The best way to make this happen is in the schools. Teachers need to at least try to incorporate a variety of different and helpful teaching technologies into their classroom on a daily (if possible) basis.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Friday, October 31, 2008
Hello Talen H. and Danielle
Hello! My name is Bri. I live in Maine. I have one younger sister. Her name is Erin. I like to run and ride my bike. I am in college learning how to be a teacher. I can't wait to hear from you.
Monday, October 20, 2008
ACTEM Conference
1. Smartboards take white and chalk boards to the next level. You write and draw on it like a white board, but you can also save what you write/draw, go online, and play videos without leaving the board. The Smartboard is controlled by your touch.
2. Senteo Student Response System is a remote control like device that eliminates paper and pencil test taking. The questions can be projected on the wall, handed out, or written on the board and the students enter their answers into the Senteo devices. When the student has completed the test, he/she gets their grade immediately and the grade is recorded on the teacher's computer. Senteo's can be used for yes and no, true and false, multiple choice, multiple answer, survey, and math questions. It cannot be used for essay or open ended questions. The presenter said that his students enjoy test taking more when they use the Senteo devices.
3. Free and Open Education Resources are informational texts that can be edited, changed, or manipulated. An example of a Free and Open Education Resource is Wikipedia.
4. GeoGebra is a program that helps students with math subjects like fractions and measuring. It is free and you can download it to your computer. www.geogebra.org
5. Jing is a program that allows you to captures and shared images and video. You can download it to your computer for free. www.jingproject.com
6. www.spellingcity.com is an online spelling test. You can create your own spelling test or take one that already exists. The site has Test Me, Teach Me, and Play A Game options to better help the students with the words.
7. www.magneticpoetry.com is the online version of creating sentences or stories on the fridge with the magnetic words. Students can click and drag words from the word bank to the picture of a fridge.
8. SketchUp is a software program where you can create 3-D models of buildings and structures. The presenter gave an example of a project one class did useing SketchUp where the students created 3-D models of historic buildings in their town. http://sketchup.google.com/
9. Place-Based Technology Projects are community based projects using technologies like GIS ans GPS. North Haven Community School is located in a clamming town, so students did a project where they used GIS (Geographic Information System) to map out how many people live on the island during different seasons.
10. Overall Reaction to the Day: I enjoyed myself and learned about some new and interesting programs. I also recieved a huge list of websites that will most likely come in good use when I have my own classroom. Two of the four sessions I attended were very useful, and the preseters were up beat and interesting. The other two presentations had some good information/ideas/programs for the classroom, but the presenter was boring and didn't captivate the audience.
2. Senteo Student Response System is a remote control like device that eliminates paper and pencil test taking. The questions can be projected on the wall, handed out, or written on the board and the students enter their answers into the Senteo devices. When the student has completed the test, he/she gets their grade immediately and the grade is recorded on the teacher's computer. Senteo's can be used for yes and no, true and false, multiple choice, multiple answer, survey, and math questions. It cannot be used for essay or open ended questions. The presenter said that his students enjoy test taking more when they use the Senteo devices.
3. Free and Open Education Resources are informational texts that can be edited, changed, or manipulated. An example of a Free and Open Education Resource is Wikipedia.
4. GeoGebra is a program that helps students with math subjects like fractions and measuring. It is free and you can download it to your computer. www.geogebra.org
5. Jing is a program that allows you to captures and shared images and video. You can download it to your computer for free. www.jingproject.com
6. www.spellingcity.com is an online spelling test. You can create your own spelling test or take one that already exists. The site has Test Me, Teach Me, and Play A Game options to better help the students with the words.
7. www.magneticpoetry.com is the online version of creating sentences or stories on the fridge with the magnetic words. Students can click and drag words from the word bank to the picture of a fridge.
8. SketchUp is a software program where you can create 3-D models of buildings and structures. The presenter gave an example of a project one class did useing SketchUp where the students created 3-D models of historic buildings in their town. http://sketchup.google.com/
9. Place-Based Technology Projects are community based projects using technologies like GIS ans GPS. North Haven Community School is located in a clamming town, so students did a project where they used GIS (Geographic Information System) to map out how many people live on the island during different seasons.
10. Overall Reaction to the Day: I enjoyed myself and learned about some new and interesting programs. I also recieved a huge list of websites that will most likely come in good use when I have my own classroom. Two of the four sessions I attended were very useful, and the preseters were up beat and interesting. The other two presentations had some good information/ideas/programs for the classroom, but the presenter was boring and didn't captivate the audience.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Webquest
My overall interest in this WebQuest is to have students study the slavery and the path to freedom via the Underground Railroad.
1. A Day in the Life of...
Topic: Have students gather information on a day in the life of a slave
Grade Level: 6th
Task: You are a slave telling a reporter (since you can't read or write) about your daily life. You include any work you do, how you are treated, any fears you have, etc.
Roles (at least 3): Slave on the plantation - You are a slave working on a plantation. How are you treated? Do you know any free slaves? Have you ever attempted/thought about running away?
Runaway slave - You have just runaway. What has your journey been like so far? How close/far away are you from reaching freedom?
Free slave - You have reached freedom! What was your journey like? Was is very dangerous? How does it feel to be free? How is your life different now?
2. Travel the Underground Railroad!
Topic: You are a runaway slave on your way to freedom in the North. You are traveling the dangerous Underground Railroad and keeping a journal of your travels as you go.
Grade Level: 5th
Task: Keep a daily or weekly journal as you travel the Underground Railroad. Be sure to include any people you meet along the way, any dangers you encounter, and whether you made it to freedom or got caught.
Roles (at least 3): Child - You are a child traveling with your parents.
Woman - You are a woman trying to make it to your family who has already reached freedom in the North.
Man - You are a man who is following the Underground Railroad to reach freedom in Canada.
3. A Helping Hand Along the Way
Topic: Research safe houses along the Underground Railroad and how they hid slaves from the slave hunters.
Grade Level: 7th
Task: Your home is one of the safe houses along the Underground Railroad. It is your job to prevent the slaves passing through from being caught by slave hunters and brought back to slavery. How will you keep these runaways safe?
Roles (at least 3): Safe house owner - You are one of the many safe houses along the way. It is your job to protect and prevent your guests from being caught.
Runaway slave - What is it like at the safe house? Do you fell safe?
Nearby Neighbor - You don't approve of your neighbors harboring runaway slaves, yet you won't snitch on them because they are close friends. How do you handle the situation? Will you keep quiet or tell the authorities?
4. Famous People in the Anti-Slavery movement
Topic: Research famous or important people of the Underground Railroad.
Grade Level: 6th
Task: You are an important person in the path to freedom from slavery. You are very well liked and trusted among slaves, free or not. You are being interviewed for the local newspaper about your role in the freedom of slaves.
Roles (at least 3): Harriet Tubman - Led hundreds of slaves to freedom through the Underground Railroad. She was a runaway slave from Maryland and was known as "Moses of her people."
Frederick Douglass - A leader in the anti-slavery movement. He was an advisor to President Abraham Lincoln and played an important role in human rights during the Civil War era.
Harriet Beecher Stowe - Known for her book Uncle Tom's Cabin and other novels about slavery. She was familiar with slavery, anti-slavery movement, and the Underground Railroad.
1. A Day in the Life of...
Topic: Have students gather information on a day in the life of a slave
Grade Level: 6th
Task: You are a slave telling a reporter (since you can't read or write) about your daily life. You include any work you do, how you are treated, any fears you have, etc.
Roles (at least 3): Slave on the plantation - You are a slave working on a plantation. How are you treated? Do you know any free slaves? Have you ever attempted/thought about running away?
Runaway slave - You have just runaway. What has your journey been like so far? How close/far away are you from reaching freedom?
Free slave - You have reached freedom! What was your journey like? Was is very dangerous? How does it feel to be free? How is your life different now?
2. Travel the Underground Railroad!
Topic: You are a runaway slave on your way to freedom in the North. You are traveling the dangerous Underground Railroad and keeping a journal of your travels as you go.
Grade Level: 5th
Task: Keep a daily or weekly journal as you travel the Underground Railroad. Be sure to include any people you meet along the way, any dangers you encounter, and whether you made it to freedom or got caught.
Roles (at least 3): Child - You are a child traveling with your parents.
Woman - You are a woman trying to make it to your family who has already reached freedom in the North.
Man - You are a man who is following the Underground Railroad to reach freedom in Canada.
3. A Helping Hand Along the Way
Topic: Research safe houses along the Underground Railroad and how they hid slaves from the slave hunters.
Grade Level: 7th
Task: Your home is one of the safe houses along the Underground Railroad. It is your job to prevent the slaves passing through from being caught by slave hunters and brought back to slavery. How will you keep these runaways safe?
Roles (at least 3): Safe house owner - You are one of the many safe houses along the way. It is your job to protect and prevent your guests from being caught.
Runaway slave - What is it like at the safe house? Do you fell safe?
Nearby Neighbor - You don't approve of your neighbors harboring runaway slaves, yet you won't snitch on them because they are close friends. How do you handle the situation? Will you keep quiet or tell the authorities?
4. Famous People in the Anti-Slavery movement
Topic: Research famous or important people of the Underground Railroad.
Grade Level: 6th
Task: You are an important person in the path to freedom from slavery. You are very well liked and trusted among slaves, free or not. You are being interviewed for the local newspaper about your role in the freedom of slaves.
Roles (at least 3): Harriet Tubman - Led hundreds of slaves to freedom through the Underground Railroad. She was a runaway slave from Maryland and was known as "Moses of her people."
Frederick Douglass - A leader in the anti-slavery movement. He was an advisor to President Abraham Lincoln and played an important role in human rights during the Civil War era.
Harriet Beecher Stowe - Known for her book Uncle Tom's Cabin and other novels about slavery. She was familiar with slavery, anti-slavery movement, and the Underground Railroad.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Inclusive Technology in the Classroom
Inclusive technologies should provide a classroom where every student feels as though they are at the same learning level as the rest of the class. Even if some students find some subjects/tasks more difficult to understand and/or complete, the use of these technologies will help them perform in the classroom better. Some of the inclusive technologies available include books on tape, flash or face cards, and mouse alternatives.
Books on tape can be a great tool for both gifted children and children who are slower readers and/or have difficulty with comprehension. Books on tape would be a great technology for gifted students who are just starting to read, like kindergarten and first graders. If I was teaching kindergarten and I had a student who was at a higher reading level than the rest of the class, I would have that student reading along with the book on tape while I worked with the other students. This would keep the advanced student from becoming bored with the lower level reading that his or her classmates are working on. I would also use books on tape in my classroom with students who are struggling with the reading level that the rest of the class is working on. If I had a student who was having trouble reading but could understand things that were read to him or her, a book on tape would be used for that student to improve their reading level.
Flash cards and face cards would be great tools for me to use with a student who has autism, Asperger Syndrome, or PDD (pervasive developmental disorder). Students with these disorders/syndromes typically have a difficult time socializing and communicating. By having these cards, those students could tell me what they are thinking, how they are feeling, and what they need by giving me a card with the corresponding picture or words. Face cards are just what they sound like, cards with people’s faces on them. These cards usually show an emotion so the student with Asperger Syndrome, for example, could be able to read people’s emotions by their facial expressions (Face Cards).
Small hands, physical disabilities, and the lacking of fine motor skills can make using a computer mouse very difficult. Using mouse alternatives such as the BIGtrack can help navigating a computer easier. The BIGtrack is a circular device with a large rolling ball in the middle and two buttons on the sides. It is designed for children who haven’t developed their fine motor skills well enough to move and click a standard computer mouse. It is a large device and can be placed on a desk or in the child’s lap. It can be used on both PC and Mac computers and plugs into the USB port. If I teach in the kindergarten through second grade range, I would seriously think about getting something like this for projects on the computer.
By providing inclusive technologies in my classroom, I hope to make all my students feel as though they are not behind the class in any of the lessons. Without some kind of inclusive technology, some students would feel overwhelmed and frustrated because they are a little slower or need extra help on some topics. Inclusive technology also keeps the gifted children challenged and not become bored with class assignments that are too easy for them.
"BIGtrack." Inclusive Technology Ltd. 11 Sep 2008 http://www.inclusive.co.uk/catalogue/acatalog/bigtrack.html.
"Face Cards." Dunedin Multimedia 5, September 2007 11 Sep 2008 http://www.dunedinmultimedia.com/face-cards.html.
Books on tape can be a great tool for both gifted children and children who are slower readers and/or have difficulty with comprehension. Books on tape would be a great technology for gifted students who are just starting to read, like kindergarten and first graders. If I was teaching kindergarten and I had a student who was at a higher reading level than the rest of the class, I would have that student reading along with the book on tape while I worked with the other students. This would keep the advanced student from becoming bored with the lower level reading that his or her classmates are working on. I would also use books on tape in my classroom with students who are struggling with the reading level that the rest of the class is working on. If I had a student who was having trouble reading but could understand things that were read to him or her, a book on tape would be used for that student to improve their reading level.
Flash cards and face cards would be great tools for me to use with a student who has autism, Asperger Syndrome, or PDD (pervasive developmental disorder). Students with these disorders/syndromes typically have a difficult time socializing and communicating. By having these cards, those students could tell me what they are thinking, how they are feeling, and what they need by giving me a card with the corresponding picture or words. Face cards are just what they sound like, cards with people’s faces on them. These cards usually show an emotion so the student with Asperger Syndrome, for example, could be able to read people’s emotions by their facial expressions (Face Cards).
Small hands, physical disabilities, and the lacking of fine motor skills can make using a computer mouse very difficult. Using mouse alternatives such as the BIGtrack can help navigating a computer easier. The BIGtrack is a circular device with a large rolling ball in the middle and two buttons on the sides. It is designed for children who haven’t developed their fine motor skills well enough to move and click a standard computer mouse. It is a large device and can be placed on a desk or in the child’s lap. It can be used on both PC and Mac computers and plugs into the USB port. If I teach in the kindergarten through second grade range, I would seriously think about getting something like this for projects on the computer.
By providing inclusive technologies in my classroom, I hope to make all my students feel as though they are not behind the class in any of the lessons. Without some kind of inclusive technology, some students would feel overwhelmed and frustrated because they are a little slower or need extra help on some topics. Inclusive technology also keeps the gifted children challenged and not become bored with class assignments that are too easy for them.
"BIGtrack." Inclusive Technology Ltd. 11 Sep 2008 http://www.inclusive.co.uk/catalogue/acatalog/bigtrack.html.
"Face Cards." Dunedin Multimedia 5, September 2007 11 Sep 2008 http://www.dunedinmultimedia.com/face-cards.html.
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