Reflections:After all the 11 Tools

WOW! I feels great to now be completed with all the 11 Tools assignments.
Digital Storytelling, Bookmarking and Video resources through TeacherTube and SchoolTube.

Since I am exploring storytelling this coming year, digital storytelling was of high interest to me. I hope to have my class create a story on the computer using their own illustrations and/or photos. Having them hear their own voices will be exciting to them I think.

My thinking about the learning to take place in my classroom has changed in that I now realize I have a much larger source of information to pull and use from.

Onward ho...with blogging!!

Tool #11

Final tool to blog about...oh...I'm looking ahead and I will need to blog on my reflections too....well ...close to the end!!

Being a good digital citizen to be will require the knowledge about being safe on the big internet, using good manners in correspondences and having the correct literacy also.

I would teach my young student by using the most effective way of teaching any thing.....
my example!

Tool #10

There were lots of free educational apps. I focused mainly on the ones appropriate for the age level of my students(4 year olds). A couple that I checked out were :
ABA FlashCards--Alphabet-Kindergarten.com
ABA Pocket PhonicsLite: Lettersounds and writing +first words
I could see some of my struggling students using these apps with added motivation.

I also checked out the apps that are free for SBISD to be used on ITouchs :
GoogleEarthApp and Photoshop.com
Both of these had info that will be useful.

Tool #9

Screencast along with Jing will be useful if a set of directions are needed for a specific activity which the students can view whenever they need to if I am busy with another group of students. Having the directions personalized by their teacher will assist the students in performing the specific activity. Skype will allow the students to carry on verbal conversations with other students in different schools here in Houston or across the USA. When a student moves away to a different town during the school year, it would be fun to keep contact with him and his new class through this tool.

Tool # 8

The 2 videos I selected will be used to hook the learners interest in various discussions such as sequences of events and comparing/contrasting the 2 stories.
http://www.blinkx.com/watch-video/the-adventures-of-spot-spot-goes-on-holiday/Tl3x5peGU4-3eNTdjrO3IQ
http://www.blinkx.com/watch-video/the-adventures-of-spot-spot-goes-to-school/ljHn2JKApINSB7ZLbRsoYA

Tool #8

The 2 videos I selected were about the friendly dog Spot who is a character in books I would have already read to my students. By viewing the 2 videos, various discussions could transpire (such as sequencing the events and also comparing and contrasting the 2 videos). Having the active videos will be a hook for the learners.

http://www.blinkx.com/watch-video/the-adventures-of-spot-spot-goes-on-holiday/Tl3x5peGU4-3eNTdjrO3IQ

http://www.blinkx.com/watch-video/the-adventures-of-spot-spot-goes-to-school/ljHn2JKApINSB7ZLbRsoYA

Tool #7

I think my students will enjoy viewing their own stories on the screen. Hearing their voices will also be an added joy for them. Having all the different things to add to the video was exciting. With more practice, I am sure the experience will be smoothier.

Tool #6

Since I work with 4 year olds, I view using the wikis for professional reasons. After recording about a workshop, it will be fun to have others record their input about that information. Again, I view this tool, as many of the others previously seen are, as one for receiving and sharing more information.

Tool #5

Wow....there is soooo much info available on the vast plains of the internet!!
I used the Diigo site and bookmarked 2 sites-- http://www.drjean.org/ and http://www.thevirtualvine.com
The main tags I used to find these sites were PreKinder and Prekindergarten activities. Using these bookmarks I will not waste time trying to look them up each time I wish to use them to find something to use in my classroom. Time saved can be used to snuggle up with a group of my young student and read them a story!

Tool #4

Both of the Google Doc and Reader will help me by providing new ideas for me to use in my classroom. It will be a quick way to share info that I find to share with other peers. Increasing my network of educators will increase info to improve my teaching.

Tool #3

The simple example using the letter blocks will be used to help my student identify letters and how to put them together to make words. PATIENCE is a word to assist me as I continue to learn all this new technology and to remind me as I work with the young students.

Tool #2

I'm excited to build an online educational info sharing community. I think by participating in the PLN I will have more to offer my students. The main pt. that stood out to me is that there is a vast amount of info availabe to me.

The 5 Blogs that I commented on were:
Aggie's Mom Blog
First grade Tech
Teaching and Technology
Discovering Technology for Education
Sylvia's Blog

Tool 1 Experience

I have completed doing all the necessary actions to create a Blog! By using the given directions, which I printed out and read along the way, I went through each step. All of the needed tabs were clearly seen which helped it go smoothly. Also, a fellow teacher gave me encouragement and some directions as he was doing his Blog too. I look forward to sharing lessons done in the classroom, activities to do at home to extend lessons, comments about reflections on the lessons.
Reading other teachers' blogs will be fun as I will receive ideas to do in my own class. Parents will benefit from this form of sharing too. Sharing will take on a whole new dimension!

Just starting in this big BLOG adventure!

Today is the first day of the rest of my BLOGGING life!
Lots to learn with joy and respect for technology...
many fun times ahead for all of us!
Looking forward to you joining me in this new adventure in my teaching career!