ILP "Participation" - FSU Technology Sandbox

When I attended the FSU Technology Sandbox, I learned about a lot of technology applications used in classrooms. Our instructor went through each technology tool and explained its use, how to work it, and how it's used in the classrooms. After we heard a description of the tools, we all had the chance to try them out. I first went to the Promethean board and played around with it's applications. It was easy to figure out and understand and also had a lot of neat tools to use in the classroom.  I've had many teachers from my high-school use a Promethean board and I was always interested in learning about its features. There was an Ipad tool called Osmo that connected to your Ipad and was an easy app to learn and was a great way to practice learning. You would choose a certain activity to play involving letters, and with a motion sensor and camera set up on the Ipad, it would detect the letter you selected. 

3-D Pen

I then went to try out the 3-D pen. The pen has a electrical powered heater that becomes hot enough to melt the plastic ink inside. You can then draw 3-D images using this pen in different ways. This is an important tool for younger kids in school so they can learn about shapes and the different angles they have. It's a great way for students to learn visually how something is created and the way it's formed. 

Promethean Board

Smart Board

Ipad Osmo

I then tried out the Smart Board. This was very similar to the Promethean Board, however, the Smart Board was a tiny bit older and lagged a little more than the Promethean Board did. There were different features on this board like the 3-D images. You could select images off clipart and rotate it to see every angle. This is a great tool for schools when teaching certain ideas you can view this object from various degrees to learn about its whole structure.

Overall, I had an awesome experience at the FSU Sandbox! The instructors were very nice and helpful throughout explaining and showing all the tools they had to offer. I would definitely come back again to learn in more detail what everything is about! And I also can see myself using each of the applications I tried out during this experience in my own classroom. 

Post #6

As I searched through different elementary schools, Antioch Elementary School (K-5) is one I found easiest to navigate. This website has four main tabs of "Parents and Students," "Administration," About Our School," and "Calendar." I can see on the first page of the website, announcements and upcoming events. Tabs on the top and side are where information about the school is located. On the side tab there are quick links to different websites regarding different information about their school. Teachers class pages are located on the side tab and there are about 10 teachers with their grade level and specific information regarding their class rules, outline, and schedule. Parents and students can easily access information regarding the school without any log-in requirement. Click here for the school's website.

I envision myself using technology in my future classroom to teach young children everyday. I think it's important to be updated on the latest technology and use it each day to provide learning. I want to use an application such as a Promethean board to write lectures and use Ipads from the class to do learning activities and practice on. I also want to make sure each student in my classroom has access to technology because some may not have that ability at home. All technology based learning and practice will be used in the classroom and handouts/homework on paper for those who don't have access to computers at home. Using technology tools to plan is a great way to stay organized and staying digital is a great way to stay updated and easily accessible.

When we visited the Technology Sandbox, I found the Promethean board to be very useful for classrooms. I've had my old high-school teachers use this board for everyday teaching and learning. I think it's perfect for the classroom to teach and have students interact with learning as well. Students can go up to the board and answer questions, which would typically make little kids excited to be able to engage with technology. It's quick and you can either draw/teach on the board or open a website for practice. Unlike a white board, you can create lectures before hand and save it on the board and can have them ready for future class. It has many other applications that I think are important for teaching effectively.

Post #5

Web 2.0 tools are no longer optional element according to the ELA standards. However, to support teacher development and professionalism, I think the "video tools" is a technology I believe all teachers should use. Such as "Teachertube", there are so many educational videos online that is helpful towards learning. In high-school my psychology teacher often put on a channel on Teachertube called "Crash Course" and these videos range from almost any subject with multiple creative and educational information. Another tool I would urge teachers and students to use is the "presentation tool" where you can upload, create and present anything from projects or learning content in a creative way such as "Prezi." It's another form of Powerpoint but there are creative tools to make a presentation pop. One tool I don't see too helpful is the "mobile tool." Although it would be cool for students to be blogging, at a young age especially, I don't think teachers should focus on students using their cell phones in the classroom.

When I'm teaching a web 2.0 tool I would probably use is Edmodo. It is almost similar to twitter except it is designed for teachers and students to interact with each other for school use only. Teachers create a classroom section and students join that class with a group code. From their phone or computer, you can access this app and reach out to your teacher from there and teachers can upload future assignments, homework, study guides, or reminders. Parents can also join the class with a group code to follow along with their students and what they are learning. I used this tool in high-school and I think it's great for interacting with students in an educational way. (https://www.edmodo.com/).

In chapter 12, the biggest technological advancement for education I believe is cloud computing. It is a system where you can access data, programs, and information from all over the internet instead of just a computer hard drive. You can also store data and information in the cloud and easily reach it whenever you need. I think this is most important for teachers and students especially to access data other than from the internet. You can share your information with your students in a fast accessible way. I think a great way to share information with your students is Powerpoint presentations that you've used from previous classes or lectures. This allows students to access these notes and slides where they can study from it or download it if they were missing from class.

Post #4

So, my course experience with Twitter has been great! I've interacted with most of my classmates as they reply and like my tweets. I also like to take a look at everybody's page to see what's going on. I think it's an important and a fun way to express yourself and get to know your classmates. It's easier to communicate on twitter with Taehyeong and everyone in the class. I think its beneficial to reflect on what we've learned in the classroom and perhaps use it on the app. In my future career, I think twitter can be helpful to interact with my students and keep them updated on our activities. It can also teach them about the consequences of the internet and how to use it safely. 

Digital divide affects students' success in schools because these days, many teachers and school curriculum require computer technology access to do assignments, lectures, homework, etc. Some students that can't afford or don't have access to computers struggle with the extra learning and practice that is needed for success. Things that cause digital divide could be economic issues with families having lower income that cannot afford computer access in their homes. Also depending on the country, some may not even be able to be available to internet. When I'm a teacher I will consider these problems some kids in my classroom may face, and understand that some students don't have computers at home. I will try my best to accommodate with these students and do most of my teaching in the classroom, and if technology is required, use what the school gives me and have the students use that. I would focus on more hard copy homework and assignments rather than ones on the computer.

The student software I expect to use the most is academic software. This is because it includes softwares such as Google docs, powerpoint, and Microsoft office. When I am teaching 2nd or 3rd grade I think these specific softwares will be an active way to learn and demonstrate technology skills at a young age. Using Google docs with features such as creating concept-maps or mind-maps will help students understand ways to compare and contrast different areas of geography learning about animals. Using powerpoint could help young students to make presentations on vocabulary terms they've learned throughout the week and use that software to study and look over. I also think the "Drill-and-Practice" software is a good technique for young students to practice the correctness of a response and questions. This is a good application for a subject such as math. 

Post #3

The ELA standard I feel most prepared to teach is SL.2, "Integrate and Evaluate." For K-2 students are required to recognize key details in text read aloud or presented through media. I know how important it is to have students read passages out loud to understand their knowledge, mistakes, or comprehension. As I observed a second grade classroom last semester, the teacher had her students read aloud to gain better reading skills for interpreting and analyzing visually the text. The standard that I need more learning on is W/WHST.8, "Use Multiple Sources." I need to learn how to paraphrase and provide a list of sources correctly regarding information about the credibility, while avoiding plagiarism effectively. I learned some techniques in high school about crediting my sources but sometimes it will still be incorrect.

 Since I want to teach at an elementary 2nd or 3rd grade level, the blog application is what I would like to use with my students. I want to teach them at a young age how to post things on the internet, while staying safe at the same time. Lots of kids grow up not knowing the dangers of posting certain material for everyone to see. I want my students on their blog weekly to discuss what they've learned for the week and what their favorite part was etc. I think this is a great way to teach students about technology in a fun way and express themselves at a young age, while staying safe. Digital citizen concept is an important guideline to follow while beginning to use technology at a young age. I want to make sure to teach my students how to browse the internet safely and explain to them what you put on there stays forever. Since the students I wish to teach are young, I don't think teaching them about correctly citing their sources in depth is appropriate, however I think briefly explaining to them not to use other people's work and the consequences is important!

From working on the Newsletter Design assignment, I learned how to create a two-column design layout and I also learned more about how to move and adjust clipart from google and place them appropriately and the use of hyperlinks. I really enjoyed making this newsletter because I got to show my creativity and pretend to be a teacher by creating a colorful handout. For next time, I need to improve on how to correctly hyperlink my email and mastering the two column layout. From this assignment, I will take these skills I acquired and use them for future classroom assignments, handouts, or projects. Assignments like these make me excited to be in a classroom and the skills to be creative.