Rachel+Roon

Teacher NET 5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership Basically, teachers should continuously develop their own use and understandings of instructional technology as well as work with others to help develop others' understandings. -Explore various ways to use technology to increase student understandings via local and global communities. -Work with others and inspire others to better utilize technological resources. -Stay up-to-date with current technology practices and research. -Contribute to the "effectiveness, vitality, and self-renewal" of school, community, and teaching profession.

This NET seems within reach of all teachers. It seems like as long as you give keeping up with technology a try (using self, others, and research as resources), then you're meeting this NET standard. (Rachel)

Journal Entry July 20, 2010 What is one area from today that you feel confident about? What is one area brought up today that you feel challenged by (in a positive way)?

I am feeling increasingly confident with using our class wiki. I haven't participated in any wikis before and I like how easy it is to navigate and use (so far!). I wonder how using wikis compares with classroom websites (rather than simply emailing) in terms of efficient and productive two-way parent communication?

I am having a hard time coming up with a final project that seems to meet the criteria. I'd like to do something that helps parents get more involved in technology with their child. At first I was interested in setting up a classroom website, but I can't think of when I can spend significant time during the school day working on it with students. Then I was wondering if there was a way to have my kindergarteners publish stories from their writing journals on promethean flip charts, where students could use the promethean art tools to illustrate and record their voice reading each page. Then students could read and listen to eachother's "books". Maybe I could teach them how to incorporate animation in their illustrations...I'm excited about this idea, but wondering how much one-on-one time this will take to get students going on this project. Maybe if each student's story was "one page" long and they only got to create 1 illustration, it wouldn't be as time intensive for the first try at the beginning of the year... Possibly the computer teacher could help out with the project and my class could work on the illustrations during our computer lab time, then compile all the flipchart pages into one flipchart.

I'm also interested in getting better at using discovery streaming to connect videos to content. It's not very creative for kids, but they loved the few science clips I showed last year. We also have a "Family" unit in social studies at the beginning of the year. I wonder if families could somehow come up with information/photos and the students create some sort of page at school with the information that they could present to the class....or to all the families via a wiki for families to get to know eachother (depending on privacy issues...).

Yet another idea I have is somehow letting kids incorporate drawing with beginning understandings of letter sounds. I could make a "label" book with each page having it's own letter. The kids would be responsible for drawing animals/items that begin with that letter sound and attempting to write the word. As kids take turns, they could add to any letter's page...

comments at home.
 * After learning about voicethread, I decided to use this tool for my final project. It easily and efficiently accomplishes most of what I wanted to accomplish with the digital books I mentioned earlier in this journal entry. Kids are able to share and reflect upon their own writing, comment on each others, and use technology that allows parents to get a glimpse into the learning and possibly participate through posting

July 21, 2010 Internet safety sites www.isafe.org

This site has resources for K-12, but seems especially good for middle and highschool students. The site offers contests, mentors, and a virtual training academy. One of the more enticing features is the I-drive TV section (after you click on Kids & Teens from the main page). Student can send in video submissions and become "Digital Correspondents." Students produce 30 minute episodes geared for a student audience. Episodes may include discussions with experts, new technology items/gadgets, real-life internet stories, etc.

Journal Entry July 21, 2010 My school has pretty strong filters set up for the internet, and I've never accidentally come across anything inappropriate for kids in the last 4 years. I set up links on the desktop for the sites kids can be using. Occasionally kids remember or get to game sites that they play at home and need to be re-directed to something more productive, but thankfully no one has found potentially harmful sites. I haven't talked about internet safety much with parents in the past, aside from letting them know that I monitor and only allow students on sites that I've previewed. After our conversation this morning, I'll talk more this year with parents about monitoring computer use at home and helping me instill responsibility in the students to make smart/healthy internet choices even if a grown-up isn't watching. I wonder how much the parents at my school know or are concerned about the internet safety of their kindergarteners either in school or at home? I remember how my class got to go to the computer lab to play oregon trail, kid pix, or math munchers once a week in elementary school. It's amazing how much technology has changed and the expected technology literacy of elementary students has changed in the last 20 years. (much less the last 2 or 3 years...) I also wonder, when did technology or computer classes start happening in elementary schools? We had them at my school in the late 80's. I wonder what kids were taught before oregon trail was out? Maybe typing on typewriters? haha we had a typewriter at my house when I was little. It seems such such an "antique" thing to do or use now, but I'm only 28. I thought you had to be "old" to know about or remember using things that are now considered antiques. Technology progresses so quickly, the term antique now seems to apply to things that aren't 50+ years old like I believe it used to. I can't think of any questions I had for Susie this day that weren't already answered...Thinking about making this an online-only or online-hybrid class, I think it would be tough... I loved having this a face-to-face class with Susie and the other people in class b/c we could turn to eachother for help, ideas, or quick demonstration...It took away any technology frustration that I am positive I would've had if I hadn't been surrounded with people to help.

July 23, 2010 Journal entry How many hours a day did it take you (Susie) to get so good at technology!? haha I have about a thousand tools and ideas I want to try out now, but I'm not sure when I'm going to find time to try them all out. While this course was a whirlwind and we didn't get to go indepth into many topics, it was an awesome course to get me reinvigorated about improving how I use technology to support and promote learning in my classroom this year. Normally I like to get good at one thing, before starting to learn the next, so I don't get overwhelmed or realized I've learned so much but I don't know what to do now... Kind of like going to the grocery store without a plan, buying $80 of random groceries and coming home and feeling like we still have nothing to make for dinner. It was different in this class though... I like how we were introduced to and given time to begin to explore a ton of different tools, and also focused some time on one specific tool. Coming up with a concrete plan for one tool, I'll walk away from this class immediately able to confidently use the tool for learning, while i can continue to explore others. The format of the class was great for a 3 session class.

Tech Literacy Workshop Final Project

__Narrative description:__ I’m excited about incorporating new web tools into my classroom. Voicethread has been easy and fast to use and navigate so far, and will be a great way to record students’ voices as they read and reflect upon their writing. I would like to have each kindergarten writer make a voice thread page each month and respond to other students’ voice thread. I’m still considering how and whether parents could or should access the page of all students’ writing. During our writing workshop each day, students work on independent writing projects as I record monitoring notes and confer with students individually. The students would be expected to select a current piece of writing that showcases their best effort. After choosing a piece, students will read the piece into the microphone and reflect upon it. Specifically, students are expected to share something they’re proud of about their writing and something they want to improve. Either a trained volunteer or I will assist students in creating voice threads. I will also teach students appropriate ways to respond to others’ work and students will have a chance each month to respond to the work of their peers. __Standards:__ **Student Net 2. Communication and Collaboration a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media. b. communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.** Teacher NET 2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments b. develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress(*voicethread comments) Content Standard 2 Students write and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences. (*Voice thread allows students to both share writing AND speak about it for the purpose of sharing and reflecting, to audiences including themselves, their teacher, their peers, and their families.) I plan to have students create and respond to each other’s voicethreads at the end of each month. Each time we make a new voicethread, students and I will look at and listen to previous ones and reflect upon progress and the previously recorded comments about a student’s work. The voicethreads will be shared with families ASAP to keep families up to date with student progress. __Student Rubric:__** Beginning Understanding**: Student does not attempt to share story or reflection. Does not respond respectfully to the work of others, even with support.** Partially Proficient**: Student attempts to share story and is able to come up with appropriate strengths and next steps in own writing with support. Responds respectfully to the work of others with support.** Proficient**: Student shares story and is able to come up with appropriate strengths and next steps without support. Responds respectfully to the work of others without support.** Advanced**: Student shares story with expression and clearly communicates specific strengths and next steps without support. Responds respectfully and specifically to the work of others without support.
 * Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others(**voice thread comments to self and others). Students:
 * Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessments incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S. Teachers:**
 * 1) design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity (**voicethread allows students to reflect and self-assess their progress in learning, specifically their writing. The idea of our writing workshop allows creativity in student-chosen writing projects.)
 * __Implementation:__

Link: http://voicethread.com/#u1011483 User rcroon@aps... pwd mm...