I got this nifty Web 2.0 app from Selena Ward at the MICCA Conference. Students can use toondoo.com to summarize steps, create stories, etc. Feel free to browse: www.toondoo.com
Friday, June 5, 2009
Even Michael Thinks blogger.com is great!
I got this nifty Web 2.0 app from Selena Ward at the MICCA Conference. Students can use toondoo.com to summarize steps, create stories, etc. Feel free to browse: www.toondoo.com
Thursday, June 4, 2009
HINDSIGHT
As promised, I am reflecting on my STEP experience in hindsight. This has been the most overwhelming year of my teaching career, for various reasons, some of which are clearly unbeknownst to me! I had begun to look at STEP as simply an unwelcomed addition to my TO DO LIST, that I could definitely do without =(
However, just yesterday, I sat with a curriculum writing group, for which I am a contributing curriculum writer, specifically for modifications and accommodations as they relate to "struggling learners." I must admit that my experience in STEP proved to be a valuable tool that helped me in ways I had never anticipated! For example, I suggested several ways of modifying the curriculum through the usage of some of the technology I learned through STEPPING, the familiarity with one of the newest waves in education, the Nimus/CAST technology standards, even the ingenious idea of using a Voicethread to teach "To Kill A Mockingbird" as was mentioned by Ms. Johnson on this very blog!
Although STEP seemed to add to my woes with regard to unneeded extra assignments to complete, I now feel like one of my students who simply could not fully understand how invaluable the lessons I learned would be. The best kind of work is that which enhances your skills and abilities, and serves to fulfill my goal of continuing to be a lifelong learner! I have come to the conclusion that STEP was indeed a great decision, and although I feel that I have a long way to go, I am glad that I am "STEPPING" in the right direction, and grateful for the opportunity to learn, the equipment, and the invaluable additions to my technology innovation! I will also be reciting this blog during our presentation. I hereby give the STEP Program two thumbs up!
A "standing ovation" to my team at Parkdale and the entire STEP Support Team...working with you all has undoubtedly been the BEST thing about this experience.
However, just yesterday, I sat with a curriculum writing group, for which I am a contributing curriculum writer, specifically for modifications and accommodations as they relate to "struggling learners." I must admit that my experience in STEP proved to be a valuable tool that helped me in ways I had never anticipated! For example, I suggested several ways of modifying the curriculum through the usage of some of the technology I learned through STEPPING, the familiarity with one of the newest waves in education, the Nimus/CAST technology standards, even the ingenious idea of using a Voicethread to teach "To Kill A Mockingbird" as was mentioned by Ms. Johnson on this very blog!
Although STEP seemed to add to my woes with regard to unneeded extra assignments to complete, I now feel like one of my students who simply could not fully understand how invaluable the lessons I learned would be. The best kind of work is that which enhances your skills and abilities, and serves to fulfill my goal of continuing to be a lifelong learner! I have come to the conclusion that STEP was indeed a great decision, and although I feel that I have a long way to go, I am glad that I am "STEPPING" in the right direction, and grateful for the opportunity to learn, the equipment, and the invaluable additions to my technology innovation! I will also be reciting this blog during our presentation. I hereby give the STEP Program two thumbs up!
A "standing ovation" to my team at Parkdale and the entire STEP Support Team...working with you all has undoubtedly been the BEST thing about this experience.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Google Sites VS Wikispaces
Google Sites do not allow us to upload Photostories. So, I will create a Google site for teachers and I have to create a Wikispaces site for my Photostories and Slide Share presentations. I made Photostories to instruct teachers how to connect their LCDs with their computers.
This is a great disappointment. My move from Blackboard is going to take forever.
This is a great disappointment. My move from Blackboard is going to take forever.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
COMPLETE BLOG ENTRIES (with the exception of the two previous posts)
MICAA Conference
I saw and learned many new exciting things at the technology conference. It was a wonderful experience to see how many teachers are interested in enhancing their technology integration. I was intrigued by things such as the smartboards, clickers, and the new wave of online tutorials available to students, geared at things such as, HSA preparation. I thought it was a wonderful opportunity to not only enhance my scope of technology available, but how to effectively implement it into my daily instruction. Last but certainly not least, I loved the opportunity to further bond with fellow Parkdale Steppers, and interact with my teammates and colleagues!
PODCASTING MICROPHONE and MATERIALS
I have been so incredibly busy that it has taken me FAR longer than expected to pick up my Podcasting materials and give myself a tutorial on how to use them. I am thankful for the materials that have been sent and the word-of-mouth encouragement I have received. However, for some reason, I have simply not yet carved out the time to retrieve the gadgets from the library. Mrs. Johnson I thank you so very much for your patience and understanding with regards to this matter. I also thank Patrick and Linda for supplying the materials which provide a step-by-step guide to the Voicethread. I am looking forward to delving into these sooner than later!
NECC (a reply)
Mrs. Johnson, I am not familiar with NECC, but I do look forward to hearing about your experience should you attend. As far as the funding/refund, good luck with that. I offered to volunteer to attend a conference related to Special Education that people in our department were “encouraged” to attend, however, when I asked about getting funding, a refund, or even partial assistance with the cost…there was no response. When I inquired to the “powers-that-be,” they simply informed me that there is NO MONEY for such activities. I wish you better luck.
MICCA, etc…etc…etc…(replies)
Mrs. Johnson, I wanted to respond to your point about how other teachers keep up with the latest technology, considering how much is out there, and how a Media Specialist like yourself can barely absorb it all! I too often wonder how the teachers who are not as interested or acclimated with technology get by without it. There is such a spark in the students when I allow them to type their assignments, do internet based quizzes or tests, or even research or webquests. I feel like I do everything but turn cartwheels, and even WITH what I consider a fair amount of technology integration, my kids can SO EASILY become bored or disengaged with their assignments. Of course as a special educator, I deal with ADHD and other emotional disorders that cause my students great difficulty with focusing. However, I feel that technology is not just an enhancement, but a necessity. I joined STEP for that very reason, not to let the plethora of technology advancements out there PASS ME BY! When they said you get to use and KEEP a variety of technology, I could not resist. More to come on my decision to join STEP in hindsight…
TECHNOLOGY NEWBY
I would like to CONCUR with Ms. Lynch about feeling like a technology “newbie” after some of my STEP experiences. MICAA was not the first time, but even some of our trainings, the new equipment, and especially some of the things my teammates at Parkdale, and session mates at Northwestern have been able to do with their WIKI. I wish I had the time to sit and learn and create plans to implement all of these wonderful tools and ideas, but this has simply not been a very good year for me. If the more simplistic technology resources, such as SCHOOL MAX, didn’t get in the way, I do believe I could do a lot more with the USEFUL resources available out there.
EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP ARTICLE
Mrs. Johnson, I thought your entry about the “Mastering Multitasking” was interested and included an essential lesson. I plan to check out the article you mentioned, and often find a great deal of useful information in Education Leadership myself…I love that journal!
We certainly cannot confiscate all 2,000 earpieces, Ipods, Cell Phones, etc. I am always interested in making peace with the students and killing them with kindness. Surprisingly this is typically well received. Therefore, I really like your idea about optimizing the electronic gadgets for the purposes of their education. I am all for letting them use any source of information that will enhance their learning and engage them in something positive, versus chit chat with the girlfriend/boyfriend. I often let my students use their phones to look up information when all of the computers are taken. They know how to access dictionaries, and perform other searches on their mobile networks, and so long as it is pertinent to our class discussion, WHY NOT? I plan to come up with creative ways of incorporating all those ILLEGAL gadgets into their instruction more often in the future. I plan to include a way they can text me Homework (to my e-mail of course, no way I would give them access to my cell number!) I am hopeful that this will increase their amount of study time outside of the classroom, (WELL, since it doesn’t EXIST, I guess increase is not the best word)…perhaps CREATE more consciences study/homework habits.
PODCASTING
As I mentioned earlier, I cannot relate to the troubles with PODCASTING/Voicethread because my issues are far more related to the problems that Ms. Berkeley mentioned in her post with regard to having the time for collaboration, and not only planning and preparing the lessons, but performing the functions, implementing it smoothly, adjusting and being flexible when things don’t go as planned…and after all that…troubleshooting just seems far too daunting of a task! Of course, nothing always goes 100% according to plans, however, I would just as soon revert to option B, for lack of time to reap the full benefit of option A. In accordance with our STEP agreement I am going to give it a shot. However, I would much prefer to take the time after the semester ends to familiarize myself with the materials, devise lessons and strategies on ways of utilizing them, and incorporate them into future lessons. I believe it was Mr. Montgomery who mentioned doing it over the summer, which is a much more realistic goal for me as well.
PODCASTING II
I have finally retrieved my microphone from the library. Although I feel largely accomplished for this small milestone, I welcome any and all suggestions on how to effectively implement this into a lesson. Especially since I have now been frightened out of taking the time to play with it myself, as I do not want to allow myself to rise to the frustration levels mentioned by Ms. Swift and Ms. Berkeley unnecessarily. Please feel free to add feedback, ideas, suggestions, etc. that may make my amateur attempt less aggravating! =) I am going over the packet on how to access Voicethread right now, I am sure I will be emailing Patrick or Linda shortly!
STEP HAS BEEN GREAT, BUT I AM NOT SURE IT IS FOR ME!
Do to the nature of my responsibilities as a Special Educator, including but not limited to: IEPs, evaluations, annual goals, countless meetings, case management, monitoring, transition efforts, etcetera...and most recently the NIGHTMARE of testing, I am short on time ALL DAY, every day. I have appreciated the learning opportunities, collaboration, and equipment, however, I am beginning to think I will not be able to sufficiently meet the demand of the STEP project requirements. I do not take my commitments lightly, and am certainly not a quitter. However, what is put into most simplistic terms and modeled so eloquently in the trainings, just has not come to fruition as seamlessly for me once I snap back into reality. The ELMO has been great, and I do see the possibilities of the photostories, and other wonders the digital camera and podcasting can bring. Perhaps in the future I can be more susceptible to the tasks at hand, but currently I am feeling like I have bit off a little more than I am able to chew. I love the lessons I’ve learned and the possibilities for improving my instruction through technology, but time management is a major issue for me right now. I mentioned earlier that maybe if I could have the summer to work on infusing the technology into my lessons, perhaps I would be more effective.
SWIFT SAYS I CAN’T QUIT…(sighs).
I just want to thank her for her encouragement and let he know that while I said it jokingly, I was being sincere, and I really appreciate the motivation. I am NO QUITTER, and I would really like to see this through. However, I have to prioritize and recognize when I am in over my head. I am going to put my best foot forward and see what I come up with by June 2nd. Thanks again for giving me a “push” in the right direction Ms. Swift.
WOW…from the HOSPITAL?
Ms. Lynch, what a soldier you are! Here I am whining about being overwhelmed at work, and you are in your hospital bed working on BLOGS!?!?!? What is your secret? Do tell, because I am simply SHOCKED to see that you are still able to work after just delivering a baby. Clearly I am simply not that strong because I was SO OUT OF IT after having my little ones. KUDOS to you my friend….May blessings be upon you, Baby Anya, and your family.
What happens to STEP DROPOUTS?
Seriously, I would like to know the implications on the TEAM if a member drops out? I am willing to admit personal defeat and move forward, however, if the rest of the team will be adversely affected, I am less willing. Does anyone know how it would affect us as a team if I gracefully bow out and return all of the useful materials? =( I am dedicated to making the attempt, I am just not certain I can pull it off with so little time left. I know that we could have up to FIVE teachers apply, so I am wondering what the consequences are if all five are not interested in continuing with the program. Just a question…
I saw and learned many new exciting things at the technology conference. It was a wonderful experience to see how many teachers are interested in enhancing their technology integration. I was intrigued by things such as the smartboards, clickers, and the new wave of online tutorials available to students, geared at things such as, HSA preparation. I thought it was a wonderful opportunity to not only enhance my scope of technology available, but how to effectively implement it into my daily instruction. Last but certainly not least, I loved the opportunity to further bond with fellow Parkdale Steppers, and interact with my teammates and colleagues!
PODCASTING MICROPHONE and MATERIALS
I have been so incredibly busy that it has taken me FAR longer than expected to pick up my Podcasting materials and give myself a tutorial on how to use them. I am thankful for the materials that have been sent and the word-of-mouth encouragement I have received. However, for some reason, I have simply not yet carved out the time to retrieve the gadgets from the library. Mrs. Johnson I thank you so very much for your patience and understanding with regards to this matter. I also thank Patrick and Linda for supplying the materials which provide a step-by-step guide to the Voicethread. I am looking forward to delving into these sooner than later!
NECC (a reply)
Mrs. Johnson, I am not familiar with NECC, but I do look forward to hearing about your experience should you attend. As far as the funding/refund, good luck with that. I offered to volunteer to attend a conference related to Special Education that people in our department were “encouraged” to attend, however, when I asked about getting funding, a refund, or even partial assistance with the cost…there was no response. When I inquired to the “powers-that-be,” they simply informed me that there is NO MONEY for such activities. I wish you better luck.
MICCA, etc…etc…etc…(replies)
Mrs. Johnson, I wanted to respond to your point about how other teachers keep up with the latest technology, considering how much is out there, and how a Media Specialist like yourself can barely absorb it all! I too often wonder how the teachers who are not as interested or acclimated with technology get by without it. There is such a spark in the students when I allow them to type their assignments, do internet based quizzes or tests, or even research or webquests. I feel like I do everything but turn cartwheels, and even WITH what I consider a fair amount of technology integration, my kids can SO EASILY become bored or disengaged with their assignments. Of course as a special educator, I deal with ADHD and other emotional disorders that cause my students great difficulty with focusing. However, I feel that technology is not just an enhancement, but a necessity. I joined STEP for that very reason, not to let the plethora of technology advancements out there PASS ME BY! When they said you get to use and KEEP a variety of technology, I could not resist. More to come on my decision to join STEP in hindsight…
TECHNOLOGY NEWBY
I would like to CONCUR with Ms. Lynch about feeling like a technology “newbie” after some of my STEP experiences. MICAA was not the first time, but even some of our trainings, the new equipment, and especially some of the things my teammates at Parkdale, and session mates at Northwestern have been able to do with their WIKI. I wish I had the time to sit and learn and create plans to implement all of these wonderful tools and ideas, but this has simply not been a very good year for me. If the more simplistic technology resources, such as SCHOOL MAX, didn’t get in the way, I do believe I could do a lot more with the USEFUL resources available out there.
EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP ARTICLE
Mrs. Johnson, I thought your entry about the “Mastering Multitasking” was interested and included an essential lesson. I plan to check out the article you mentioned, and often find a great deal of useful information in Education Leadership myself…I love that journal!
We certainly cannot confiscate all 2,000 earpieces, Ipods, Cell Phones, etc. I am always interested in making peace with the students and killing them with kindness. Surprisingly this is typically well received. Therefore, I really like your idea about optimizing the electronic gadgets for the purposes of their education. I am all for letting them use any source of information that will enhance their learning and engage them in something positive, versus chit chat with the girlfriend/boyfriend. I often let my students use their phones to look up information when all of the computers are taken. They know how to access dictionaries, and perform other searches on their mobile networks, and so long as it is pertinent to our class discussion, WHY NOT? I plan to come up with creative ways of incorporating all those ILLEGAL gadgets into their instruction more often in the future. I plan to include a way they can text me Homework (to my e-mail of course, no way I would give them access to my cell number!) I am hopeful that this will increase their amount of study time outside of the classroom, (WELL, since it doesn’t EXIST, I guess increase is not the best word)…perhaps CREATE more consciences study/homework habits.
PODCASTING
As I mentioned earlier, I cannot relate to the troubles with PODCASTING/Voicethread because my issues are far more related to the problems that Ms. Berkeley mentioned in her post with regard to having the time for collaboration, and not only planning and preparing the lessons, but performing the functions, implementing it smoothly, adjusting and being flexible when things don’t go as planned…and after all that…troubleshooting just seems far too daunting of a task! Of course, nothing always goes 100% according to plans, however, I would just as soon revert to option B, for lack of time to reap the full benefit of option A. In accordance with our STEP agreement I am going to give it a shot. However, I would much prefer to take the time after the semester ends to familiarize myself with the materials, devise lessons and strategies on ways of utilizing them, and incorporate them into future lessons. I believe it was Mr. Montgomery who mentioned doing it over the summer, which is a much more realistic goal for me as well.
PODCASTING II
I have finally retrieved my microphone from the library. Although I feel largely accomplished for this small milestone, I welcome any and all suggestions on how to effectively implement this into a lesson. Especially since I have now been frightened out of taking the time to play with it myself, as I do not want to allow myself to rise to the frustration levels mentioned by Ms. Swift and Ms. Berkeley unnecessarily. Please feel free to add feedback, ideas, suggestions, etc. that may make my amateur attempt less aggravating! =) I am going over the packet on how to access Voicethread right now, I am sure I will be emailing Patrick or Linda shortly!
STEP HAS BEEN GREAT, BUT I AM NOT SURE IT IS FOR ME!
Do to the nature of my responsibilities as a Special Educator, including but not limited to: IEPs, evaluations, annual goals, countless meetings, case management, monitoring, transition efforts, etcetera...and most recently the NIGHTMARE of testing, I am short on time ALL DAY, every day. I have appreciated the learning opportunities, collaboration, and equipment, however, I am beginning to think I will not be able to sufficiently meet the demand of the STEP project requirements. I do not take my commitments lightly, and am certainly not a quitter. However, what is put into most simplistic terms and modeled so eloquently in the trainings, just has not come to fruition as seamlessly for me once I snap back into reality. The ELMO has been great, and I do see the possibilities of the photostories, and other wonders the digital camera and podcasting can bring. Perhaps in the future I can be more susceptible to the tasks at hand, but currently I am feeling like I have bit off a little more than I am able to chew. I love the lessons I’ve learned and the possibilities for improving my instruction through technology, but time management is a major issue for me right now. I mentioned earlier that maybe if I could have the summer to work on infusing the technology into my lessons, perhaps I would be more effective.
SWIFT SAYS I CAN’T QUIT…(sighs).
I just want to thank her for her encouragement and let he know that while I said it jokingly, I was being sincere, and I really appreciate the motivation. I am NO QUITTER, and I would really like to see this through. However, I have to prioritize and recognize when I am in over my head. I am going to put my best foot forward and see what I come up with by June 2nd. Thanks again for giving me a “push” in the right direction Ms. Swift.
WOW…from the HOSPITAL?
Ms. Lynch, what a soldier you are! Here I am whining about being overwhelmed at work, and you are in your hospital bed working on BLOGS!?!?!? What is your secret? Do tell, because I am simply SHOCKED to see that you are still able to work after just delivering a baby. Clearly I am simply not that strong because I was SO OUT OF IT after having my little ones. KUDOS to you my friend….May blessings be upon you, Baby Anya, and your family.
What happens to STEP DROPOUTS?
Seriously, I would like to know the implications on the TEAM if a member drops out? I am willing to admit personal defeat and move forward, however, if the rest of the team will be adversely affected, I am less willing. Does anyone know how it would affect us as a team if I gracefully bow out and return all of the useful materials? =( I am dedicated to making the attempt, I am just not certain I can pull it off with so little time left. I know that we could have up to FIVE teachers apply, so I am wondering what the consequences are if all five are not interested in continuing with the program. Just a question…
Problems Blogging!
Mrs. Berkeley so graciously just came and assisted me with what had been a blogger's "block" for some time now. I had been following our blogs and attempting to post to no avail. For some reason, the page was simply not allowing me to log on again, as I am sure you all noticed that I had made a cameo appearance in the past. I assure you I did not DISAPPEAR completely as you might have guessed! Consequently, my next post will be a complete dissertation of the blogs I have been keeping in a WORD document, as I was advised to do based on my log in issues. I look forward to hearing your comments on each and every one of my postings (*Smile). You all have been an awesome team, and as you will see from my blog postings, I have enjoyed reading all of yours.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Hmmmmm....Avatars/Vokis in classroom
Since I was unable to make the MICCA conference and attend the very first STEP training due to a prior obligation, I was at a loss as to what else I could blog about in reference to technology in the classroom. I was doing my typical surfing about interesting ideas for the classroom and came across the use of Vokis and Avatars in the classroom. So I decided to add a Voki to my Wiki on the home page, but then started thinking about how the Vokis and Avatars could be used in the classroom. This would be a great way to personalize discussions and blogs. Interestingly enough, some of the reading I did on the subject is right on this website. With very specific parameters, I believe this would be something to definitely engage our high school students who already have Avatars and Vokis set up for personalized chatting purposes.
Link for article:
http://classroomlearning2.blogspot.com/2007/08/3-week-2-create-your-own-blog-avatar.html
Good Luck in creating your avatar or voki!
Link for article:
http://classroomlearning2.blogspot.com/2007/08/3-week-2-create-your-own-blog-avatar.html
Good Luck in creating your avatar or voki!
Technology usage and learning styles/MI
As I was reading about on line teaching and how it appeals to different learning styles, I couldn't help but think about all of the activities we conducted and how they do in fact appeal to different learning styles. The wiki (from what I read) is a place for collaborative inquiry space and the blogs and forums are good for individual space. This would be good for interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences. Honey and Mumford have developed a Typology of Learners and conclude that Latinos, White females, Native Americans, and African Americans are activist learners: prefer doing by experiencing. I thought this was interesting because as I surveyed my students many were tactual, hands on, and bodily-kinesthestic. A technology that could possibly assist with this particular style is online scenarios/simulations. I have participated in a simulation previously, but not in an online format. I think students would find this beneficial, but I know that they may not be cost effective.
Reflection on student techology usage
If we continue in to year two with STEP, there are some things in hindsight that I would do differently for year two. The first item on my agenda would be to develop some type of student survey about their technology usage. When conducting the digital story telling, I found that some of my students needed absolutely needed none of my help and others needed to be led my hand and step by step. I demonstrated how to use Microsoft Photostory with the LCD. Most students were able to catch on with this demonstration. Additionally, I found a PDF tutorial for Microsoft Photostory and uploaded and posted it to the documents section in my blackboard course. The survey would help me to differentiate my instructions with the technology. I could divide students in to groups accordingly. The other item of reflection I wanted to mention is access to technology in and out of the school building. My students have a very wide range with respect to technology access at home. Additionally, being able to schedule your classes in the lab becomes a fight for space and time. What this requires is just better preparation way ahead of time to secure locations in the building and provide alternatives for students who may not have technology to use at home.
In the future
As I reflect on my experiences with the new technology I am using through the auspices of STEP, there are some things that I have never done that I would like to learn. We all have been discussing our respective blackboard sites and possibly moving them to google or the wikispace. I would like to build a webpage for my students from scratch. Finding a host site that has all of the necessary tools for us would be worth exploring. It would have to be a host site that allows the embedding of html for such things as podcasts, a place to provide links, upload files, and I personally want the ability to add any aethestic designs to enhance the site. The other idea I had brewing was to create my own unit or lesson webquest. This could be done as a cross-curricular activity or individually. People say use what is out there and try not to reinvent the wheel, but I would definitely find this activity beneficial because I do not know what is all involved in creating one. In any case it is just some food for thought for future planning.
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