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.

Tool 6: Dana Point

Dana Point is a perfect little surf town just before San Clemente. I searched for a picture online to post about Dana Point and outrigger canoeing because I used to be on the team. I found of picture of ME!!! I remember we did a photo shoot years ago but it's funny to see a picture of yourself that you were not expecting. It's from a distance but I remember that day well. I'm sitting "one," the first canoe seat. Insane!

 

Edmodo is a great tool to stimulate classroom discussion and promote writing. My example shows how a discussion was ongoing with students posting questions about our read aloud book, Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech. Students responded to each other questions which actually caused other questions to surface. Students posted for 15-20 minutes and created over 100 posts! Edmodo is a way that every voice is heard instead of the same students raising their hand. Online etiquette should be taught before hand and always a reminder with the initial post by the teacher. Students can further to continue to discuss the book at home so learning continues. As the teacher, it is crucial you set the expectation of what posts should look like and sound like. Also, everyone response to someone new and so that the learning is shared by all.

Add me: Amitch

 

Skype is a wonderful and FREE way to communicate with people all over the world. It is essential for students, teachers, and your average to broaden their horizon by being able to discuss topics with a wider range of people around the world. Instead of just watching the news or reading a nonfiction article about a topic, students are able to Skype with other students in the actual country about the topic that effect them such as an earthquake in Chile or a tsunami in Hawaii. I have a teacher friend in CA who teaches third grade, two in HI, and two in Wales. I am hoping to set up "Skype Dates" to chat about books for the coming year. Skype just made the world a whole lots closer.
Add me: annieamitchell

Tools 5: Laguna Beach

Laguna is about an hour north of Oceanside, a daily drive my mother took everyday to work at Saddleback Hospital. Living the high life with a quiet surf break would be choice for the more sophisticated surfer.


Student-made project for Terrace Humanitarian Expo. Animoto is a great tool for a reflection project, motivational project, or just a quick main idea in science or social studies. My class uses it for book reviews, book talks, and Humanitarian project to showcase their country they "adopted."




Student-made Web 2.0 Tools embedded into an Animoto. Students created TAKS inspirating posters in Big Huge Labs. Students saved their .jeps in their Home drive and upload into Animoto.




Story Jumper
Students created books of fiction as part of our Multi Genre Writing Study. Also, we created Mother's Day Book as a gift for our moms.

Ultimate Race Against Time

Alien Invasion

I Love You, Mom

Tools 4: Santa Monica

This is my actual SECOND post about this but I won't quite get into that. Moving on...

I have created a document with another teacher for our Humanitarian Expo of different possible countries the students could research. The list grew and grew between us as we add more and more third world countries that experienced natural disaster and hardships throughout the year. We chatted as well as we built this document. It was a niffy little device on the side there and in real time.

I have also created a Reader's Theatre for my fourth grade that I shared with them. I decided instead of emailing them a Word Document I could leave it in the cloud. Teachers can log in and change up the Reader's Theatre to improve it.

The students also used the Template options to make Texas Hero Business cards. We had slight problems with the ability to format and spruce up the business card to our liking. We could only make three types of changes to make it our own. Open Office was a bit better setting for the business card.

Students used Stupeflix on Friday to make Guam Getaway movies as one of their stations. Very nice.

Tool 3: Malibu

Malibu might have a celebrity reputation but really has some nice breaks of 3-4 feet. Yes, you might see a familiar face but also you might even see a fin gliding through the water as well. I have made many-a-sandcastles in my youth at this beach. 

MATH
Youtube: Cyberchase:"2 & 3D Geometry - When you follow simple rules to make flat geometrical shapes, and join them together, you can discover new shapes that, instead of staying flat, rise up to make three-dimensional objects!"

SCIENCE:
Youtube: Zula Patrol Teaching about simple machines

As far as Copy Rights with photos, it is okay to use pictures for education as long as the picture is in a closed and secure site such as their Google Doc accounts or Edmodo accounts. These example are only available through password in a "secured circuit" site. On my classroom page (simply Google: Ms. Mitchell's Webpage), I have linked to the Creative Commons and FreeFoto for my students to use when creating their Web 2.0 projects.

Tool 2: Ventura

I spent many years of my youth in this fine city of Ventura as well as Oxnard.

I use Google Reader to follow writing and reading professionals in order to global interact with other teachers and writers.

Here are a few of my feeds that I am following.

http://www.floggingthequill.com/flogging_the_quill/ : One day, I hope to became a writer. This site gives advice to the road to publishing your piece and fine tweeting your craft.

http://greetings-from-nowhere.blogspot.com/ : Barbara O'Connor's blog. Barbara has written a few books I love such as "How to Steal A Dog." Blue Bonnet Award 08-09

http://laurasalas.livejournal.com/ EVERYONE! I mean EVERYONE should follow Laura! She is a writer of poetry for nonfiction, which is clever in itself. I love her "15 words or less" poetry on Thursdays on her blog. In fact, I do the same on my blog because of her. She is so friendly that she responds to your posts and poetry. She even commented on my classroom blog which thrilled my class to bits. They were so eager to write more poetry because of the comments from a real author. Laura is a star!

http://susanwrites.livejournal.com/ Susan is another writer of poetry who writes like she is just writing to you. Enjoy to see her personal writing craft evolve. Helps me to reflect on myself as a writer.

http://www.napkindad.com/ Napkin Dad is a clever blog about how he used to write quotes and drawings on his daughters' lunch napkins when they were in junior high and high school. He uses this idea to post about family, rising kids, and life in general.

http://m-stiefvater.livejournal.com/ Words on Words by Maggie Stiefvater is an author blog of Young Adult readers.

Here are just a few blogs and sites that I follow on my Google Reader. Google Reader allows me to quickly go through my blogs that I am following without having to open a million tabs. It saves me tons of time for updating my interests. Sharing openly as a professional in writing/reading keeps me sharp and connected to the latest practices and methods in that field.

Tool 1: Santa Barbara

Write a brief post about your experience to date. Did you find the experience fairly easy? Did you face any challenges?
I have surfed my way through 23 1/2 things as well as 11 tools. I have attempted to use the tools I have learned across the fourth grade curriculum for the past few years. I have to say that experience has been fairly easy to navigate through with only a few minor bumps that I cannot even remember now. I did have a bit of a challenge when it came to the "sandbox" because quite sure what the purpose was and if I did it correctly. I believe it was trying to teach us about wikis and collaborating on the same page.