Using Technology in Classroom Part 2

    
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     My repertoire has grown significantly since the beginning of the semester. When I started this class, I believed I had a great knowledge of computers and programs. I was proven wrong after the second week of class when we learned about wikis and blogs. I had no experience with either program.  I think that the learning process can be greatly enhanced by technology in my classroom. When I am a teacher, I want to incorporate several of the programs we have learned. I really liked the use of iPadio and screencastr to give explanations or assignments beyond the classroom walls. I want to also incorporate Zoho and Prezi presentations into my teaching. PowerPoint has been overused and I think these programs provide another exciting way to be presented. I think my elementary students will love using them. Teacher Web Pages and Curriculum pages are great to use in a classroom. A Teacher Web Page provides so much information to students and parents. Curriculum pages are a neat way to teach a concept. I have never heard of curriculum pages before and I think it is an awesome idea. I have never created a website before and I am so excited about wikis and that I know how to use them. This will come in handy for several classes and when I become a classroom teacher.

These programs I have used and have learned a great deal about:
-iPadio
-Movie Maker
-Prezi and Zoho
-Screencastr
-Google Sites
-Virtual Tours
There are several others in which I have learned and added to my knowledge and will apply to my teaching. Learning this information about all of these programs has been very helpful and has widen my view of technology.

Ethics

     Ethics is responsible cyber social behavior according to the Cyber Citizen Partnership. Cyber ethics must be taught to children so that cyber crimes and injustice do not happen. Ethics in terms of cyberuse includes giving others credit, protecting others, and behaving appropriatly when using a computer.
     I will teach my students the Ten Commandments of Cyber ethics. These ten commandments are: thou shall not use a computer to harm other people, thou shalt not interfere with other people's computer work, thou shall not snoop around in other people's files, thou shalt not use a computer to steal, thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness, thou shalt not use or copy software for which you have not paid, thou shalt not use other people's computer resources without authorization, thou shalt not appropriate other people's intellectual output, thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you write, and thou shalt use a computer in ways that show consideration and respect. I will teach these commandments in more kid friendly terms, but I want them to be aware of proper ettiquete when using a computer. Also, I will make sure my students have a basic understaning of technology and the proper uses of a variety of technological programs. As a teacher, I will monitor online use of my students during the school day and reinforce good computer use. I will also empower the students to create expectations to keep their computer use ethical and safe.
     A pro of being ethical is that you are keeping others safe as well as yourself. Also, providing credit where credit is due honors the hard work of others. A con of being ethical is having to follow rules and restrictions on sites. Also, sometimes information of other people is desirable, but is not ethical to take. Being ethical is also how Christ calls us to be at all times.

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Washington Memorial Clip

Reflection on 2011 Online Conference

Playing with the 4 C's in an Elementary Classroom
                                       http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=985
     The session is by Paula Naugle and Jan Wells. They are both fourth grade teachers. These two women have been collaborating for two years to teach their students the 4 C's. The 4 C's are creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking. However, the two live in separate states and have had to rely on technology to make their collaboration work. One particular tool that is used is skype. They have done interviews, had speakers, sing songs together, and compare data. The two teachers also did a research project that used Google Docs. The two classrooms could have access to the document and add new research. This put a new spin on a research project. They have also collaborated with other schools to have mystery skype calls around the United States. The students have to find where the other classroom is from by asking questions and doing research. They also use Emodo to keep information of skype presentations. Other people can see the information and comment on it. These ladies also have several projects the develop critical thinking by using different mediums and requring research.
    I learned through this session how much collaboration can be beyond the walls of the school and even the limits of the city. I learned so many different ways that communication can occur through skype. I think that I may try to do this in the future. This teaches students good communication skills and critical thinking skills. A great deal of the projects were higher level thinking and would challenge students. I think that when I am a teacher, I will try to connect with another teacher far away and do something like these two ladies did. It is such a neat idea!
     One con of this collaboration is that a school must provide the tools needed to provide such a rich experience. Skype, SMART Boards, and several other products are used by these two teachers. Access to all products is vital for these communication and collaboration opporuntities to be made. There are several pros to incorporating the 4 C's into the classroom. Students learn beyond their classroom and develop many skills. The 4 C's are all skills that are needed for everyday life and students should be learning them at such a young age! I loved these ideas!

Virtual Field Trips

Virtual field trips are "trips" without leaving the classroom. These trips are all virtual on a computer, iPad, iPod, or any other technological device. A classroom can be viewing the great wall of China while sitting in their desks in Canton, Ohio. A virtual field trip explores a place or an object with videos, explanations, and interactive activities. Virtual field trips allow for explorations beyond the classroom to places that a school bus cannot easily take a class.
     In my future classroom, I would use virtual field trips to explore the other continents when we learn about them. I would have my computer connected to a SMART Board so that my class can interact with the field trip. I think I would also explore different places within the United States that our school cannot send us too. Or even factories and businesses. This allows for exploration outside my classroom with interactive pieces that I cannot provide.
     Pros of virtual classrooms include the easy access to anywhere in the world. Also, virtual field trips have many parts to them. Typically there is a video, some explanation, and sometime interactive portions. This allows students to interact with places and things they normally would not be able to. Also, virtual field trips can be free so the cost is a lot lower than going on an actual field trip. Some cons of virtual field trips is that it is only on a computer. There is not tactile interaction with a place. Some virtual field trips are not extensive and there may not be a good virtual trip for a place a teacher would like to interact with.


Credits
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Weebly Curriculum Page Link!

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Teacher Web Pages

     Teacher web pages are websites used to add to the classroom's learning. Teacher web pages can be implemented for several reasons. Either to have homework posted, parent letters, or just weekly/monthly class news. Teacher web pages will look different depending on a school district. Some schools require teacher web pages and some do not. Some teacher web pages are more blogs rather than websites. The use of a teacher webpages typically depends on the district and the teacher's willingness to go above and beyond.
     When I am teaching I will have a teacher web page. I think they are vital to our internet savvy world we live in. I will post any class updates as often as possible. I will put up resources that parents can download to do with their children outside of school. Another way I may use a web page is to post homework assignments so students never have the excuse of leaving it at school or forgetting to write the assignment down. My teacher web page will have two parts: one for the students and one for the parents. Students can access homework, any news, and resources/games that they can play. Parents will be able to get weekly calendar updates, classroom happenings, lesson details, resources for their use, and a question/answer area.
     A pro of a teacher web pages is to keep in constant communication with families and the community. Its easy for everyone to access and does not require individual contact with parents as often. Also, teacher web pages are very helpful for parents to stay involved in what is going on in their child's school experience. A con of maintaining a web page is that it takes time. If a teacher commits to weekly updates, he/she needs to stay on top of that the whole year. This is hard when the to-do list keeps getting longer. However, the communication that web pages provide far outweighs the time and teachers should try to be as committed as possible to their web page.