Technology Tools in the Classroom

Blogs:  

Blogging in education is a great way to allow students to interact with other students all over the world. My class can partner with another class on the other side of the country and our students can read and comment back and forth across the country. This would be a great way to share state specific learning. I could ask my students to blog about what they learned about North Carolina while a class in Iowa could blog about their state. For homework my class could then go and read 2 blogs from the Iowa class and comment about similarities and differences between their own blog and Iowa's. 

Blogging is also a great way for students to reflect on things they have learned as well as practice their social writing skills. My students will be aware that their writing may be read by people outside the classroom so they will be motivated to do well. They can practice sentence structure, grammar, spelling and content while integrating another subject. 

Each student will have their own personal blog and it will give them their own sense of entitlement and accomplishment. This will be one of the first things to build their digital citizenship as well. Along with learning academic things, they will learn responsibility and internet safety. 

Digital Storytelling: (Go Animate, iMovie) 

In my classroom I want my students to have fun and not dread every day. I want learning be inspired and even discovered. I want my students to feel like they are teaching themselves through opportunities that school provides. I think digital storytelling is one way to accomplish this. It allows the students to be in charge of their projects and it gives them room to be creative. They can use Ipads with iMovie or online sources such as Go Animate. 

Students will have to do the research to decide what to put into their creation as well as understand how the information relates to the real world. This is better than testing the students because it involves the student to do more than simply memorizing facts. Making their own movie will help move the information from their working memory to their long term memory so they will remember it longer and be able to use the information later in life. 

In addition, movies are a fun and exciting change of pace. Lecture gets boring and elementary students like getting up and out of their chairs. Being able to watch a short movie in class will keep them on their toes and keep their attention focused on the topic being learned. 

Timetoast and Infographics: 

I enjoyed using Timetoast and making Infographics because I could take pride in my finished product. These resources made what I did visually pleasing. Using these made me want to go the extra mile and work hard on whatever I was doing. When using a simpler or more bland resource to create a presentation project I often work just enough to "get it done." With these resources that is not the case. I work until it is something I can be proud of.

Technology makes editing and creating easy and very user friendly.  It is also easy to present because it can be projected from the computer. I can have my students research a topic and use one of these resources to organize their information. Once they have their final project I would like to have them present it in front of the class. This will teach them how to talk in front of people and present information in a smooth and clear way. The infographic or timeline will help guide their presentation and give the audience something pleasing to look at. 

Video Games:

As I discussed in my last blog, I have recently become a fan of video games in the classroom. I like how they use challenge and rewards to increase motivation and focus. Video games are something that will get my class excited about being engaged in school work. It is something that be used over and over for practice, but it is also easy to use the same game for another lesson. I especially like the idea of using the stats from Wii games for math. 

I think the reason I most like the idea of using video games is not because of the new tech savvy aspect, but instead, the way it interacts with the brain. I like to see kids excited about learning and this will do it. Video games use the workings of the brain to keep people encouraged and engaged. That is what will make education a success. 

Connections for Future Ideas:

I want to continue to learn as a teacher and always be engaged with new findings in technology. To do this I plan to use Pinterest and Twitter to get new ideas and to communicate with my PLN. So far both have done me well and given me some great ideas and advice. Both allow me to communicate with other educators around the world and positively support others. 

Image courtesy of Alec Couros. Used under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Everything I have mentioned are things that will help me create a 21st century classroom that will be prepared for the future world of digital citizenship. They all will enhance my teaching in a way that will keep students engaged and excited to learn. 

Why use Digital Storytelling in the classroom?

Digital storytelling, when used properly can be a great tool in the classroom. It enables a change of pace and a new angle on learning. Presenting information in different ways enable students to go about different though processes in learning. Teaching through stories drive education away from lecture style and towards Digital stories are a way to engage students in a fun and exciting way because it brings the the focus away from the classroom. It makes things outside the classroom available to the teacher and the students. Digital stories expand the limits and this can be exciting for kids. 

Digital storytelling can teach students through creation. It doesn't always have to be something the teacher makes or borrows. Students can make their own story and this often teaches them more compared to simply watching one. They have to do their own research and figure out how they want to present it in a creative way. It also teaches them about ways to use technology and how to share information in a unique way. 

Digital storytelling can be used for teachers to provide an intro into new topics. Short videos are a great change of pace and are likely to grab the students attention. They take the students out of the classroom mentally for a few minutes. This is great for younger students because they have a desire to discover and digital storytelling takes away the limits of the school walls. 

Digital stories could also be used to briefly and visually explain difficult topics for students. Sometimes learning in the form of a story or through video can help students grasp difficult methods. They mentally approach the issue in a different way that is often less intimidating. In my classroom I will use this approach for math concepts such as long division, multiplication or order of operations. These can be hard at first, but with a patience students will be able to master anything. 

Using Video in the Classroom

I think videos have their place in education. There are many pros and cons to to videos, so I believe it is very important to use them properly. Videos are not often interactive, therefore it is easy for students to tune out while watching. As an addition to curriculum, videos are very limited. I wouldn't want to use videos that were too long in my classroom for fear of losing the interest of students. Students may have the attitude that movies and videos are what makes for an "easy" class. However, short videos can be an exciting change of pace. Listening to lecture can become just as boring, so switching up the way the information is presented is always good. Some students may learn or remember things better through digital storytelling. Videos are great for these types of students. It's all about finding the right balance for your students. 

Videos can come in handy when a teacher has a substitute. The teacher can video her/himself teaching the lesson or explaining the topic. This way the students have a familiar face and there won't be any mix ups or misunderstanding from the sub. Videos are also handy when a teacher wants to do an experiment that is not ideal for the classroom or if the school does not have the materials. Videos can convey the main ideas and student can see what happens from their seats. I will definitely take advantage of these benefits in my classroom. 

Another way I would like to use videos is by allowing the students to create their own mini-movies. This opens up a world of possibilities for their creative side, their tech-savvy side, as well as their producer side. Video is another form of digital storytelling just like blogs or journals. Students should become familiar with all their resources. I prefer making videos over watching videos in the classroom. The only problem with this is that it requires a lot of time, equipment and help from the teacher, especially with younger age groups. 

Photo Credit to Fotokannon

http://www.brainpop.com/english/writing/blogs/  --> Here is an example of video being used in the classroom. The length of the videos are perfect and the characters make it interesting for the students. There is also a quiz at the end that makes it interactive for the students. 

http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/09/teachers-simple-guide-to-teaching-with.html  --> Here is a great website with resources, a youtube video and a general guide for teaching with videos. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRBlNl3KUdo  --> This is a practice lesson for 1st grade students learning addition. This shows how video can be incorporated into everyday lessons. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33IjFmUoAPs  --> This is a demonstration video about go animate. It is a teacher friendly way to create your own videos for the classroom.