Top Ten Tech Tools I Can't Live Without

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Top 10 Tech Tools

I Love technology!!! Here is a list of my top ten tools that I am addicted to!

1. iPhone: This phone makes it easy to do just about anything. I use this phone for internet and social media. I even downloaded the Twitter App so I could do this class!

2. Facebook: Facebook allows me to stay connected with people that I do not see too often. I can communicate with family and friends that live away from me. I also get to stay current on things that are happening.

3. Laptop: I love the ability to transport my computer to wherever I feel like doing my work! 

4. GPS: I am horrible at directions! My husband bought me a GPS and I love it! We both love to travel so it was a great purchase!

5. Promethean Board: I use this everyday in my classroom. I can bring so much learning to the fingertips of my children and it is incredible.

6. iPad: The iPad makes learning fun in my classroom. My baby also loves the big screen and bright colors. I use the iPad in my classroom to help students learn and they can do research on the iPad. They would rather use the iPad than a computer.

7. Bubbl.us: I learned about Bubble from using it with this class. I found it to be a very good resource in teaching students how to create a concept web. It is much  more conventional than using a regular piece of paper.

8. Glogster: I also learned about Glogster from this class. I plan on using it to present information at some of the faculty meetings that I have to present at.

9. Pinterest: Pinterest is so addicting! I love finding new crafts and recipes to try out!! I really stay on Pinterst more than I should!

 

10. Google: I use Google to look up information all of the time! My husband calls me the trivia queen because if I don't know it, I will Google it!

Available Apps to Use in the Classsroom

I teach the fourth grade and this year we recieved four iPads to use in our rooms. We were all excited! Through the course of the year, I have found several Apps to use.

APP #1: SMART KIDS Grade 4     This app allows the students to pick grammar, math, or science. Once the student has chosen the subject, they begin to answer questions about that subject. The app is ver good because the student has to recall information that they have learned and apply it to different areas.

APP # 2: Math Ninja:  My students adore this app. The games begisn with a story about a bunch of tomatoes attacking a tree house with the help of robotic dogs and cats. The students must answer math fact questions in order to protect the tree house. The students must think quickly as well. The game can be played with addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division.

APP # 3: The Opposites   This is a vocabulary game that teacher anonyms. The game is played with a brother and a sister saying words. If the words they say are opposite, then the students has to identify then by choosing the two words that are antonyms.

App # 4: Google Earth: My students love to look at Google Earth. They are very interested in finding out thier own information. I allow them to freely look up different places (with close monitoring.) My students come from very low income families and this app gives them a chance to see things and use technology in a way they would never get to.

The Importance of Digital Citizenship

 The Importance of Digital Citizenship

This week, we were to answer the questions about why being a good digital citizenship is important and explain the value of a good digital citizenship.

    Being a good digital citizen is important because it helps you understand the appropriate uses for the internet. It also helps keep you informed about the internet etiquette, or netiquette, and internet regulations. Being a good digital citizen means that you are aware of the do's and don'ts of the internet. 
    In our society today, the internet is one of the most important means of communication. Your reputation follows you around just like in everyday life. I would not want to be a person that had a bad reputation.  A good digital citizen is aware of their social media participation. They make sure never to post negative things, they never make negative comments about anyone else, and they are aware of the photos that they may be tagged in by friends and family. Just one negative post or picture can ruin a good reputation. A good citizen is aware that a potential employer might check their Facebook, Twitter, or other social media account when making a decision about hiring them.

Material Generators for the Classroom

Our assignment this week is to write about material generators that we would use or would like to use in our classrooms.
 
Puzzle/ Worksheet Generators: One type of material generator software that I use in my class is worksheet and puzzle generators. Students, no matter how old or young they are,really enjoy completing puzzles. Students love to try to figure out puzzles. They love the challenge. I wish that we had more time to complete puzzls with the rigorous curriculum that we have.

 Database Software:  At the school that I teach, we use a database software program called iNow. This system stores staff information, student personal information, attendance, grades, and lesson plans. This system is very organized and many of the schools that are around the system use the same program, so transfers are easier.

 Computer-Based Test System: I would love to begin using a computer-based Test System in my classroom. Students would get immediate feedback and my time would not be spent on grading papers the traditional way. Instead, I could use that time to focus on my students and my lessons. It would also save the school systems money on paper and copies.

5 Types of Instructional Software

Drill and Practice:
Drill and Practice is based on Direct Instruction. Drill and Practice software was popular when software programs were first being developed. This software allows students to work on simple problems and then move on to more difficult problems. Students answer questions, get immediate feedback, and advance to different levels of difficulty depending on the number of correct answers. Freeware is a website that you can download free drill and practice games. Freeware.com
 

Tutorial:
A tutorial is another form of drill and practice. A tutorial is like a virtual tutor that can take the place of a teacher entirely. However, this one includes instructions and explanations to help teach a concept.  According to our textbook,  "Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching", tutorials require some necessities to be effective. These include ability for user to adjust how fast/slow program works,  having extensive interactivity, and which pages can be viewed (self-paced), loads of feedback, and is at an appropriate level for the learner. The textbook mentions Physics Classroom as a good tutorial source.

 

Simulations:
Simulation programs are very popular in science. They are programs that "simulate" an environment or situation, allowing the use to experience it using the computer controls rather than authentic hands-on experience. Simulators can be a very useful tool in the classroom. These programs and allow students the ability of probelm solving and higher order thinking. You can find loads of examples of simulation software, Farmville is a popular simultion that allows you to create a virtual farm.  Going back to the beginning, as schools are getting less money to perform science disssections, the virtual frog dissection is a good one to use. (Its less messy too!!!)


Instructional Games: 
These are educational games that we use in the classroom. These are computer games where students are "playing" and learning at the same time.  The best of these should be appealing, exciting, challenging, and flexible to the user's abilities. As educatores, it is important to make sure that all games are researched and made sure that they are appropriate fro the students. Lakeshore Learning is a publisher of many types of games. I use the games in my classroom through my Promethean Board. My students adore these games. BrainPop is a good example of instructional games.

Problem Solving: 
This kind of software has students use thier higher-order thinking skills. Problem solving software allows the student to develop the skills of analyzing and solving problems.  Problem solving games use a variety of strategies, and increase motivation to learn. They can be used to teach or to reinforce a concept being taugh in the classroom.  Students are typicaly more interesting in solving problems like this on the computer because it is not a sheet of paper. PBS KIds has a lot of different problem solving games.

Web 2.0 Resources

This week,  we were required to use Glogster, Animoto, and a free choice to do one of our assignments.  The assignment was very time consuming, and I have to admit that while I was doing it, I did not appreciate the things that I was learning. I found out afterwards, that I really liked using the resources. It is amazing the things that one can do with technology. Glogster was a great tool to make a page to showcase whatever topic that you like.  I liked how it had pictures, links, and videos that you could use. It was really simple to use. Animoto was fun as well. The video was very easy to put together and I can see myself using this with the students in my class. I created two Fakebook pages. That was fun as well. I really enjoyed getting to post the things that they possibly would say on Facebook if they had a chance. Overall, I learned a lot from this one assignment. I am going to take some of the things that I learned from this assignment and show it to my fellow teachers.

Glogster: http://www.glogster.com/ashtash1223/the-great-depression/g-6l0bmgrsvn3chvg21063na0
  Animoto: http://animoto.com/play/NqjlhPf7yxNrsTvbu4nOGA
  FakeBook: Dorothea Lange http://www.classtools.net/fb/79/L9FP98
            Herbert Hoover http://www.classtools.net/fb/90/A9CMAV

Virtual Life Vs. Real Life

      I can see both sides of the argument that Virtual Life can change Real Life.   For the critics that think that video games and software change reality, I can see where recent events can prove that. There have been numerous cases in which people get so caught up in a virtual world, that they cannot distinguish it from reality. They feel that reality and thier virtaul world are connected.

      However, I believe that there is more to account for in that argument. There are millions of peopple that participate in the fantasies of building a dream world and fighting imaginary villians. Most of these participants can distinguish reality from fiction because they have been taught to do so. These people also have limits to the time that they spend in thier virtual world. They have been taught how to use limitations in the things that they do.
  
      I can really see both sides of the arguments in this debate. I think by reading my own blog I disagree that virtual world changes reality. Yes, granted if you are not a person that is very active and has all of the time in the world to devote to a virtual game, then maybe it is possible to get confused. Most people that I know that buy virtual games have a lot of other responsibilites as well. They are limited in the amount of time that they devote to their games.