Help from FL

While working on and searching for information for my action research project (and not having very good luck!), a colleague suggested the website FCRR or the Florida Center for Reading Research.  What a great site!  It has lots of instructional materials as well as articles of current research being done in FL.  Love it!

Keep it moving....

I've enjoyed blogging for my  technology graduate class but now that the class is over I'm finding it hard to continue.  Part of the reason is another class has taken up my "spare" time.  But why not use this to my advantage.  Use my blog to reflect on my new class and new learning!The new class is an action research class.  So my first question was: action research...hmmm? The word research scares me....I immediately think of hours spent reading articles written by much smarter people with gobs of percentages and test results.  So I immediately went to the Internet and my fears were abated!

So my question to you is....how do you define action research?  Are you formulating questions everyday in your classroom?

A silly reflection!

So I'm feeling really good about all that I learned these past 8 weeks.  But there are still some tools that I haven't tried! (And I'm sure that there is many more being developed as I type!) I wanted to create something fun and light but also to show what I have learned. Enter Go!Animate. I love the 2 smartphones talking to each other and thought they could have a funny conversation.  As I made it, I realized that I needed to get to the point quickly.
Cell chat by mbhixs on GoAnimate

Animation Software - Powered by GoAnimate.

The most important thing I learned during this class was not to be afraid of technology.( This is how my students must feel when they are learning something new!) I had been apprehensive about putting myself out into the great big world wide web. But as I became more comfortable with all of the new tech tools and realizing that my blog was being looked at and reading the posts from colleagues and new friends-people from all over, I wanted to learn more!

Let's Animate....web 2.0 style!

I wanted to try something different and I haven't tried any of the animation tools yet so...I checked out GoAnimate. Here is my silly first try! Tell me what you think! How would you use this with your students?


The Watering Hole by mbhixs on GoAnimate

Animation Software - Powered by GoAnimate.

DIIGO tools...hmm.....

While playing in my Diigo-by playing I mean adding some articles, webpages, annotations, I wanted to see what else Diigo offered so I checked out the "tool" link.  I'm interested in Tagxedo and its uses so when I saw this on my Diigo (which reminded me of Tagxedo), I had to try it out!  Here it is:

My Diigo Tags

3-D printers?!

After listening to Will Richardson speak on Tuesday night, I began to think about some of the points he brought up. Such as; teaching children globally, using the over 2 billion "teachers" out in the world.  He mentioned how children are learning differently and we as parents and educators need to "learn, unlearn, and re-learn" in today's world if we want to keep up with our children and the larger techno- literate communities.  He also talked about a 3-D printer. A what?  I seem to have enough of a struggle to get the school printer to perform the way I want it to perform!  Now a 3-D printer!  What is that all about?  How will schools use it in the classroom?
Off to the internet I go for some insight and clarification! Right to an article by the NY Times.

Bingo! I think I've got it now!

My first Storybird was created with trial and error and came out ok.  The problem I was experiencing was embedding it into my blog.  But I think I have figured it out!

I had to return to the piece and edit it!  I needed to mark it "For School." This allowed me to get the embedded code!
Eureka!
I hope you like my Storybird about CAT cat.  I was thinking about word families and high frequency words when I wrote it-the pictures are funny too!

Oh PBS, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways!

I have a confession-I am a PBS junkie! I love all things PBS.  My love started just about the time Sesame Street first aired on PBS.  Yes, I am that old! I still can sing many of the songs I learned from Big Bird, Oscar, and (my favorite) Snuffleuffagus. I can count like The Count (ah,ah,ah).  I knew Cookie Monster when he ate too many cookies! I cried when Mr. Hopper died. Enough reminiscing!

The best of both worlds!!






The point is I still enjoy finding and watching different shows on PBS. This past weekend I watched the Teacher Channel via PBS. Granted it was early in the morning and not really the time I want to think about lesson planning but the lesson being shown (high school math) was highlighting common core standards.  I appreciated was the enthusiasm of the teacher and that of her students. She made it look fun and so easy to teach. That is what I love about watching a good teacher-they make it look effortless! Here is the link-lots of great things to see! Tell me what you think... check out their blog!

Come one, come all!

Happy Sunday All!  While reading the Sunday paper, I came across an article I thought was important to the class I am currently taking.
Will Richardson, author of Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, will be at Renbrook School, West Hartford, Tuesday, February 19.
Maybe I'll see you there!

Very cool! No refrigerator needed.

Looking through my Diigo to add information to our class wiki I came across PicLits. It was fun to play on...reminded me of the magnetic words sets that were sold as a theme pack (i.e. travel, family, just for fun) minus the refrigerator.


See the full PicLit at PicLits.com

Fun to do! Older kids might like it.  Something quick and gives good word choice!  What do you think?  Have any ideas how you might use this in your classroom?

Tweet, tweet, no not twitter...Storybird!

I've been thinking about creating a story using Storybird.  I've been enchanted by the artwork on the website.  So today I decided to create one.  Not my best writing but trying to get a feel for how I might use this with my kinders.  Starting to think that this might be best for the student who doesn't like to illustrate or for the student with the big imagination.  Not sure if 5 year olds will understand how to manipulate it. With that said, I think older students will enjoy it. What do you think?

Emerging from my snow coma......

Yes, I think it is time to put down the mixing bowls and baking dishes and get back to the real important things...technology in the classroom, of course! My cohort has been busy loading great websites, YouTube videos, creating digital stories, finding great apps, tagging wonderful teacher blogs, and sharing it all!Wow!Thank you to my wonderful partners in education!

Kindergarten response to Animoto!

In a word-anticlimactic!  The students were excited to see their hands and the digi blocks on the screen.  I think I need to add large numerals to it(insert them before or after each slide).  Also, it I could slow it down or put it in a loop for reinforcement.
Our math teacher enjoyed it!  She hadn't seen animoto so this was a new tech tool for her.

PBL, makes sense to me!

Project-based learning or PBL was first introduced to me by my director last spring. She asked each of us to do some research on the subject and that she would like each class to work on a project during the following school year.  She supplied each teacher with some articles to read over the summer.  I liked what I was learning about PBL.  Students become more invested in their learning when they are interested in the subject- this, as teachers, we know to be true.
While looking for articles to place in my Diigo library, I came across edutopia which had many articles about PBL.

Flickr vs Instagram?

Wondered which one was better in the prior post-found this to help with the answer!

Awake at 4:30 am...what to do?

Well, first things first...let the dogs out then make a hot cup of tea.  The house was quiet so I thought this would be a good time to do some research.  On went the computer!
After reading Richardson's chapter about flickr, I decided I needed to learn more about it. Is it similar to instagram (which I  have on my phone)?  Does it work the same way? Load a picture from my phone, share with my followers and wait for some comments?  Well, it is and it isn't.
Flickr is awesome! I immediately became lost.  I went to the explore tab.  I found a map with pictures from around the world, blogs with groups of photographers with similar interests, challenges, galleries, and a page with information about the most widely used cameras.
I have taken pictures since grade school.  I like to think I have gotten better over the years but...well, amateur is a good description!  I found through surfing flickr that I am not the only person who takes pictures of food for fun! Case in point...

So I might be the latest to join flickr!

Voicethread...revisited.

So I used voicethread a few years back in my classroom and wondered if I could access it.  I returned to the site and was pleasantly surprised to find my account still there.  Where would it have gone?  The more amazing thing was I had remembered my login and password!  Here is one of the thread that I created with my students.  This was an Empowering Writers lesson.  The children created the giants then wrote about it.  I used a microphone to record each child reading their piece of work.




It was very easy to use. The children and their parents loved seeing and hearing their voices.
I think the best component to voicethread is the ability for others to leave comments for the students and their teacher.

Passion and the RSS feed?

That's right! If you have a passion for something, you can find a group and the click "subscribe."  That's all there is to it!  The site, blog, wiki, whatever you find will instantly become part of your RSS feed. Check this out for some ideas to add to your feed.

TWITTERpated...

copied from: www.howaboutwe.com/date-report/lets-get-twitterpated/

Definition of twitterpated: to be completely enamored of. Description of my daughter for twitter.
For the past 6 months my 15 (soon to be 16) year old daughter has lobbied for a Twitter account. And my husband and I have replied with a resounding NO!
After reading Chapter 6 in Will Richardson's book, I still have reservations about her starting to "tweet." But I am warming up to the idea of Twitter as a tech tool for the classroom.
Do you use twitter? Personally or professionally?

There's so much to learn!

After I completed reading the article Online Collaborative Inquiry-Classroom Blogging Ventures and   Multiple Literacies, I felt overwhelmed.  There is so much to learn about technology and how it can be used in the classroom.  The article was rich with examples of working teachers who are navigating and implementing technology in their 21st century classrooms. On my second read through, I picked one such teacher, Karen Lirenman.  As a seasoned teacher, she states  that she is on a "quest to be the best teacher she can be" and how she incorporates technology into her classroom.

I noticed a post about Apple TV(January 10) on her blog.  My school is in the process of implementing Apple TV onto our campus. I have many questions about it. Her post and subsequent comments have sparked even more questions but I feel as if I have a person I can contact for answers to my questions!  The world seems to be getting smaller!

Classroom Animoto

I've been thinking how I might use Animoto in my classroom.  For vocabulary? With word families? Highlighting high frequency words? Maybe in math? What should I create? One for shapes or solids? Number line? Counting? I settled on counting.  The class has been working with the "tricky teens"- the numbers from 11 to 19. They have used various manipulatives to accomplish this task.  I thought a good use of  Animoto was to create a movie that showcased each number by using digi blocks and their fingers.  Each slide would show the number and the number word.

The children were excited when I told them they would be in a movie!  But they were surprised to hear the movie would be about math!  'Math?!', they said.  Then the questions started. How? Why? When would we do it? How can you use digi blocks-they aren't real?  I explained how it would work and how we would accomplish this task together.

The children worked together to put the correct number of digi blocks in the cases.  I took the pictures of the blocks when they were ready.  Then they worked in pairs to show the number of fingers for each number. Another photo op!  

Finished product:

What do you think?  Should it be longer? Slower?

2 Birds with One Stone

How do I load a youtube video onto my blog?
Step one: look for a video on youtube.
Step two: find one that is an Animoto too!
Step three: Post!!

The Word "free" Catches My Eye!

After reading Chapter 3 in Richardson's book "Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, I decided to surf and look at some of the links included at the end of the chapter. I decided that the Edublog Awards was a good place to start! The word 'free' caught my eye immediately. Who doesn't love a bargain? I choose Free Technology for Teachers.  Check it out!

Searching for inspiration....

In my quest for ideas and inspiration about blogging,  I came across this great group of blogs.  Enjoy!

Social Media-Blogs

Social media is changing the way students learn, communicate, and behave.  Teachers need to change also!  Through professional development and a continuous desire to learn, teachers can be taught alongside their students.  Schools are incorporating the use of iPads, cell phones, and e-readers in the quest to keep students engaged in the learning process.  

It is very important that students learn how to safely use these devices.  It is the job of parents and teachers to work together to guide students while surfing the net. Appropriate language, etiquette, and safe practices must be part of the tech curriculum. 

Blogging can be advantageous to the learning environment. Teachers can use blogging as a communication tool for parents and students.  With daily posts, parents would be able to experience the school day along with their children.  Pictures and video can be uploaded to highlight a new activity. 

Blogs are easily created and maintained.  When students use blogs as part of the learning process, the classroom grows into a global classroom.  They are now able to communicate with other students from around the world about any topic.  Writing skills, communication skills, and the opportunities to see the world beyond your school walls has enabled students to think outside the box.

My Views of New Literacies

My understanding of the term of “new literacies” pertains to the growth of technology that is being utilized in the education world.  Tools of technology (computers, e-readers, iPods, iPads, document readers, and so on) have changed the landscape of education.  With that change, teachers need to be able to use and to teach students how to find their way around the internet using different tools.  Teachers will show students how to read, to understand, and to assess the information being presented.

The NETS, like the CCSS, are standards created for students and teachers as a road map in the ever-changing digital world.

I am incorporating technology into my classroom by using it as a documentation tool.  I take photographs and movies of my students while they are in action.  I am able to share this documentation with my director as well as my student’s parents during conferences.  I am eager to learn more about integrating tech into my classroom practices.  My school is currently implementing the use of a web program, edoctrina .  For our professional development, each teacher is required to put in their units of study and lesson plans in order to create a cohesive scope and sequence for the school in anticipation of an upcoming accreditation process.

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle
First attempt at using Animoto.  I used some pictures from a trip.  Very easy to use!

Hmmm.....this is interesting.  I've wanted to make a blog and now I have one and not sure what to do with it.  This is the beginning of my technology journey.  Let's go!