Final 11 Tools Post

This has truly been an eye opening experience for me! I have learned that "I can do it"!! There was so much new learning for me. Some of my favorite tools were the Google Reader, Photostory, and Exploring Apps. Since we will be receiving ITouches, I will be using the Apps quite a lot to help reinforce literacy and math skills I teach during the year.
This on-line course has transformed my thinking in that it showed me what great tools are out there for me to use in my classroom that I had no idea about. Everything in technology moves at the speed of light, and we as teachers, need to keep up with it AND the children. Now I am ready to jump on the train!! This was also my "surprise" that I would enjoy a lot of the new skills learned!!

#11 Digital Citizenship

Digital Citizenship is an vital part of our society these days! It is important for teachers to teach and guide students to prepare them for our ever changing technological world. To me, the number one priority is safety. Kids of all ages, especially teenagers, need to know how dangerous the Internet can be. There are also many "rules" that need to be taught to older kids, from how to research, to checking sources, to plagiarizing.

Since I am a teacher of young children, I think the base I need to instill in my students is to only use the Internet with adult supervision. I really like the rules listed on CyberSmart that uses the acronym THINK. T = Tell mom and dad if something upsets you H = Hide your password I = interesting sites are fun, but ask mom and dad N = be nice to people K = keep personal info safe and never give your real name. I thought this was a simple but effective way to get the point across to young children.

Tool #10 Exploring Apps

With our anticipated arrival of the classroom sets of IPod Touches this year, this was a tool I was looking forward to learning about! In exploring the numerous free Apps, I discovered quite a few that can be used in a prek classroom! I found many Apps that will be great to use for reinforcement of ABC's, numbers, sight words, and counting. There were also neat Apps that help children form the letters and numbers correctly. I know the children will really like working on the ITouches and I can't wait to see how this type of reinforcement will accelerate our learning.

Tool #9 Using Jing and Skype

These 2 tools are very interesting. I have used Skype before, talking with family members in other states. It is a great tool that is used to see and be seen by the person or persons you are talking with! It is an awesome way to keep families connected.
I have never used it in a classroom setting, but can see how it would be a wonderful tool there, too! Besides the obvious use of communicating with other classrooms around your city, state, country, or world, another way it could be used is to have a conference with an author your class is studying. Also with the budget cuts that are taking away many extras in school, using Skype to take a "field trip" is a great solution.
I have never used Jing before, or even heard of it. In learning about it, I see that it is used to capture different parts of screens that can be used to make movies or videos. It will help teachers to focus children on specific learning points that need to be learned about any topic. I think this will also cut down in "teacher time" and be motivating for the kids.

Tool #8 Video Resources

I really, really liked this tool! I did not know that YouTube had so many educational videos! I also liked using the Blinkx video search engine. That makes life a lot easier! Well, the life of a teacher! I found way more than 2 videos I can use in my classroom. From ABC's to 123's to Nursery Rhymes, there are some great (and some not so great)videos out there! With the internet what it is today, doing your research BEFORE class is required! You never know what will show up during your most innocent searches!! Here are a few videos that I liked and will use in my classroom to reinforce literacy and math skills.
The ABC Song


Five Little Monkeys


Baa Baa Black Sheep

Tool #7 Digital Storytelling

This was also a fun tool! I enjoyed making my video. Photostory had very user friendly step by step directions. I chose to use pictures of my nephews who are/were in the TAMU Corp of Cadets. It came out awesome!
I could see how using this tool in class would be a lot of fun for the kids. We could retell stories easily, and then watch and read them back. Children always love seeing themselves on video!
Making it was easy, but uploading it is a totally different story! I have read several comments left on this tool, and see that I am not the only one having trouble! I have saved it as a wmv extension, but then the computer is changing it to a wml extension, whatever that is!!! So at this time, if you would like to see my video, you will have to come and see it on my computer! Sorry! And I will have to say, it is good!! I will look for help in fixing this problem, and hopefully get my video uploaded ASAP!!! But until then, on to Tool #8!!!!

Tool #6 Wikis

This tool was very interesting. Wikis are really helpful tools for teachers and students! For teachers, it will help in organization, planning, and be a terrific time saver. For students, what a great organizational tool for information and idea sharing! I can see where group projects would be made so much easier!
In PreK, wikis will be great for keeping weekly book reviews! I got this idea from the childrensbookreviews wiki on the "wikis worth a look" list! Reviewing books and studying about authors so that our children become authors is a big part of prek. I am looking forward to using wikis this next year with students and colleagues.

Tool #5 Tagging/Social Bookmarking

This was also a neat tool. Social bookmarking sites are great time saving tools that make it much more convenient to get to sites quickly!! In the classroom setting with 20 4 year olds, time is of the essence. The two sites we used were easy to navigate and understand. They were very user friendly! The key word searches also seemed endless. I was able to use the tags "prek" or "prekindergarten", "computer activities" "learning games" "alphabet activities" and it came up with awesome sites that I bookmarked. Two that were new to me and really great were iknowthat.com and GameGoo. I will be able to use these in the classroom easily and the kids will love them. Others that I have used before so I bookmarked were PBSkids and Starfall. As I stated earlier, bookmarking will make life much easier in a busy PreK class!

Tool #4 Google Tools

I really enjoyed this tool!! It is the first one I was not frustrated with!! I liked Google Docs, the ease of using it, and its purpose which is to "stop" the multiple copies of attachments we send out everyday! There is one copy of the document that you invite people to "write" on which also cuts down on your work of trying to compile information from a group of people. It is also much safer than to have multiple copies of documents flying all over the place! Smart!!!!
Google Reader is very cool!!!! It is a way to have all your sites that you follow come to you!!! What a neat way to maximize your time while keeping up with your important/interesting/educational blogs and your interests! I love it!!
As a team leader, the Google Docs can help me organize everything from "house keeping items" to team projects and beyond. I am really looking forward to using this next school year. The Google Reader will help me keep up with blogs that will help me grow as a teacher. Maybe towards the spring semester, I might be able to "follow" kids in my class with lots of teacher support.
On to Tool #5!

Tool #3 Image Generators

I completed my 3rd tool today. This was a challenging one for me! I experimented with the different sites that let you generate images but had trouble saving them to my blog. I found that Image Chef and Worditout were the two I could manipulate the best. I chose these two and generated images as gadgets on my sidebar on my blog. The theme I chose for both was reading/literacy which is very important to me because that is my main focus in Prek. I could see using these with my class as we learn new vocabulary through our themes, making word clouds to develop our oral language. I think the children would also enjoy seeing the different designs that are formed by the words.
On to Tool 4!

Tool #2 Building Community

I am excited about being part of Spring Branch's and the world's online education community! I think personal learning networks are the wave of the future, and we need to jump in ASAP! This is going to open up immeasurable opportunities for teachers and students alike.
In the commenting/blogging advise, one sentence that stuck with me was "comments turn statements into conversations". This is so true. The list of 10 things to consider when writing on your blog (or commenting) were very helpful, also. Putting questions in your title, inviting comments, and being humble and gracious seem like good techniques to follow to make your blog successful. I am busy taking notes as I learn so I can revisit these strategies to help me commit them to memory.
I enjoyed reading the blogs that were provided for us and making my comments. Hopefully I will get some responses! I chose Teachpaperless, English with Rosa Classroom Blog, Mrs. Yollis' Classroom Blog, American Presidents Blog, and The Cool Cat Teacher Blog.
Now let's see what Tool #3 holds.

Getting Started With Tool #1

Wow my eyes have been opened!! I have officially arrived into the "world of blogs"!! This has been a learning experience with easy to follow instructions AND it was fun! Well the Voki was fun to do!!! I am looking forward to seeing how many different ways we will be able to use blogs in a prek setting!! Let's see what Tool #2 holds for us!!