Student Blog

Tool 11: Moonlight Beach

1. What are your favorite tools you now have in your personal technology toolbox? Briefly describe a particular activity that you will plan for your students using at least one of these new tools.

My favorite tool by far is Animoto. It is so user-friendly and more importantly, kid-friendly. Students are able to easily navigate their way through the progress with a professional product at the end. It does not take weeks in a lab to complete a project. A project is not just a movie with pictures. Students may make a biography with picture and important facts. Students may create a summary with beginning, middle, and end of a book. Students can design invitations to an event or an advertisement for a book recommendation.
My second favorite is Big Huge Labs. Student can create many multi-Genre products such as trading cards, Motivational Posters, and Name Badges about famous historical figures or informational text about a study of a needy country.

2. How have you transformed your thinking about the learning that will take place in your classroom? How has your vision for your classroom changed? Are you going to need to make any changes to your classroom to accommodate the 21st Century learner?
One transformation of my thinking has gone through is doing Nook and IPad Book clubs. I will try this in order to be paperless and more importantly, developing students’ linguistic babble on rich literature. I think this will be a strong motivator to become a self-determined reader. I have already add the Nook app to my iPads in order to lend ebooks I hope to purchase if I win the Mini grant this year as well as a few Nooks for book clubs.
3. Were there any unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
I was surprised about the postings. There needs to be minimum standards is to what is expected in a blog post to stimulate more educational and professional conversations. Teachers need to consume blogs before they are expected to produce a quality blog.

Tool 10: Leucadia

Leucadia was the first town I lived in ALL by myself.  This is the beach access 100 steps from my place. Leucadia is also home to author, Pam Munoz Ryan.

The top three things I want my students to adhere to about digital citizenship and that we have a set standard of rules for behavior online called netiquette.

1.It's okay to disagree with someone or have strong opinions about a topic. But it is not okay to insult or start hurtful arguments. These are called flaming or creating flamewars.

2. Follow the Golden Rule: Treat others the way you want to be treated. Remember that you are working with real people who have real feelings.

3. Communication must be clear and concise. Abbreviations for texting would not be appropriate for posting in a discussion. Rereading and grammar should always be checked before posting.

I will use this powerful video I viewed from 11 Tools Page to talk about what students post and how your Digital Dossier is important to keep track of.

I plan to use the Brainpop videos previously posted about digital citizenship. Also I will implore how there is no distinction between online behavior and offline behavior. Being online is a daily practice of our educational lives and thus respect for yourself and others will always be in the forefront.

Parents need to be responsible for their child's digital citizenship as well. While children  have online access at school for 7 hours of their day, children spend the 17 hours at home. It is imperative that parents take ownership of netiquette and closely monitor their child's online usage. Checking histories and putting parental restrictions on their computers can aid in getting the message to their child that "Mama is watching." Parents can further purchase software that sends updates to their computers about online activities of their children. Just like in children's academic education, parents play a major part in their digital citizenship.

Basking in Bluebonnets: Lanie and Maddy: Ella Enchanted

Tool 9: Carlsbad



Carlsbad is wonderful for the local surfer and even better, for the beach walker, Rollerblader, or biker.  I personally love Chestnut Avenue during the day and Beech Avenue at night for a stroll.

It is critical to tie technology to an objective because using a new technology just for the sake of using the device is absolutely meaningless and a waste of time. There is a huge difference between use of technology and integration of technology. For example, if your reading objective is to monitor comprehension through higher order questioning, students can chat with Edmodo on Netbooks or create discussion points in Notes on the iTouches.
Students need to be accountable in workstations so students can self-pace their learning and not "play" in stations. Without accountable, students are not focused on a specific learning outcome.
I really enjoy Thinkfinity with all of the different levels of learning and content areas. You are able to browse through such a wide range of interactive games.
I have used Tutpup often as a math station. Students love picking animal and competing with other students around the world. Students and I enjoy these without having to create accounts. Less clicks gets you closer to the learning.
Everyday Math Equivalent Fractions and Math Bingo are the two apps I would like on iTouches/iPads. Stations would like six students on iTouches, six on netbooks, four at Activboard, and five with me for the mini lesson. We rotate every 15-20 minutes. A reflection in their math journal or on our classroom blog after stations is a way to hold the students' accountable for their work.
The iTouches/Ipads can used to post answers to weekly Explemers on our classroom blog.

Tool 8: HOME TOWN: Oceanside



Oceanside is my hometown where I went to school, sipped on Cherry Slurpees, and had endless summers. Photo taken by my dearest friend, Sara Andrade.

I learned that the iPod Touches can do more than just surf the internet. They can response to Google Surveys and edit Google Docs. Unforunately my iTouches can take pictures or videos. The ones that are issued this coming year I hope are equipped with that feature.
Everyone should have SBISD AUP before they even touch the devices. I read it over with the students and stress the importance of online citizenship. After receiving SBISD AUP, students watch Brain Pop on
Digital Citizenship
Cyberbullying
Online Safety
Digital etiquette
Each device should be numbered and students can be assigned a device number to help students' take ownership and pride in the devices.

Tool 7: San Clemente



China: Podcast

My collabrative project is actually going on now with the Terrace Humanitarian Expo (may 2- May 25). The purpose of the Terrace Humanitarian is for students with technological devices to create, design, and produce the best quality products with high academic learning. Students will ultimately become self-determined learners through problem-based units of study that foster the drive to pursuit their own interests and solve real world problems.

After reading Tool 7, we revamped what we wanted the students to do this week with the Web 2.0 tools. Students will collaborate in Google Docs with their combine notes about their chosen country to make one report. Students will also create lists of items needed for their actual expo booth and confirm who is bringing what and what days.
Students will chat on Edmodo as a reflection after the expo is finished. Students will post about challenges faced as well as celebrations during their Expo journey.
Another element we are going to tackle this week is communication. Students will consume public speaking and convention-style question and answer. We will use Today's Meet for the students to post questions during this and we will address questions students have raised during the lesson.