Thing 10: Digital Age Assessment

My students' unique needs often do not lend themselves to traditional forms of assessment. Typically, I employ performance assessments to evaluate their understanding of a specific concept. For example, if I am teaching my students to use the microwave to heat their lunch, to assess, I watch them perform the task.

However, I do use traditional assessments to assess varies concepts in mathematics. In the past, I have used an old fashioned test to assess students' understanding of shapes. This year, instead, my students used digital cameras to locate the various shapes inside the classroom. I would like to do this assignment earlier in the school year so we can go outside to take pictures.

When I think back to co-teaching in English 9, 10, and 12, I think of many ways to incorporate digital age assessments. For example, students used the Internet to perform a search concerning the lives of a favorite author and used the information to write a research paper. Instead of a traditional essay, students could have created a photostory of the author's life or created a blog under the persona of the author. The possibilities are truely endless as to what our students can create with the help of technology.

Thing 23: Final Reflection

This activity has truely been an experience and has served its intended purpose. I have learned so many new things as a result of this activity. To begin, never in a million years would I think I would enjoy blogging. I have always preferred writing over speaking, but never thought about blogging. If I had something interesting to say, I could seriously see myself becoming a blogger. Blogging would be very beneficial in the classroom. Blogging provides students the opportunity to express themselves and their ideas.

Next, I must state I have learned so many valuable uses for Twitter. In the past, when I heard the word Twitter, I automatically thought of people with too much time on their hands. Now, however, I see how students, teachers, parents, and administrators can use the tool in a variety of ways. I really enjoyed a teacher's recommendation of using Twitter to record class "aha" moments. I think I will begin by using it for bellringer and essential questions.

I have used many of the tools featured on the New 2.0 Tools site. I especially like littlebirdtales.com. I have used this with my students and they seem to enjoy it. We began by letting students take a camera home and take pictures of their house. It was nice to see where everyone calls home. Also, I have enjoyed using VoiceThread, Wordle, and many of the other tools with my students. It is amazing how well our students can learn and use all these wonderful tools.

I certainly have a better understanding of the NETS-T after participating in this activity. The tools we explored throughout this module lend themselves to facilitatiing and inspiring student learning and creativity, designing and developing Digital-Age learning experiences and assessments, modeling Digital-Age work and learning, promoting and modeling digital citizenship and responsibility, and engaging in professional growth and leadership.

Thing 17: Twitter in the Classroom

After reading information about and experimenting with Twitter, I have discovered it can have many uses in the classroom. One simple application would be to create a class twitter page where the teacher, students, and parents could share information about homework and school events. If I could get all my parents on board, I would save so much time writing and copying information to share with them. Twitter would be a great way to share links to sites like littlebirdtales.com where students create and store projects.

While researching Twitter in the classroom, I came across a teacher's post who stated he used Twitter to record "aha" moments and great questions his students ask throughout the day. This would be a great idea for all grade levels. I think Twitter would be a great way for students to answer bellringer and essential questions. As with any written form of communication, Twitter would allow those students who do not like speaking in front of others to share their thoughts. Once more, Twitter could be used as a tool to connect students to others from all over the world. The Kindergarten Twitter Project lists many examples of using Twitter in this fashion. I especially liked this site because I could use it with my students.

Also, Twitter would be a great way for teachers and principals to quickly share information with one another. Twitter could also be used during professional development to acquire feedback.

Thing 16: Twiddla

This is a screen capture of a conversation Diana and I had about her summer vacation plans. She always goes on the greatest vacations. This progam was easy to use and can have so many applications both in and out of the classroom. This would be a great tool to use during professional development activities. I could envision uploading a sample IEP and discussing it with our co-workers and case manager. Students could use the program to discuss anything, ranging from art to gym class.

Thing 14: Reader of Blogs

No, I did not take the easy way out and choose the first blog on the list to review. It just happened that way. As a teacher, I am game for anything free. Therefore, anything with the word free in the title catches my attention. I think the content within this blog is beneficial to our area of interest. A video and lesson plan from National Geographic detailing the causes and effects of Tsunamis was included. How relevant would that be in teaching world events?? Also, the blog discusses a new app from Google called Flubaroo, which can help teachers easily grade quizzes administered through Google Docs. What I like most about this blog is the fact that it not only tells you about a few technology tool, but also provides educational applications.


The blog's appearance is actually distracting to me as it includes advertisements and outside links. It is appears to be updated daily, but I will have to keep checking to see if it is maintained. On the side plus size, you can browse archives dating all the way back to 2007.


http://www.freetech4teachers.com/

Thing 15: RSS

RSS is a way to easily get frequently updated information in one place. Many news-related sites, blogs, and online publishers publish information using an RSS feed.

I subscribed to WSAZ because I am obsessed with the weather. Also, I have subscribed to USA Today Education News and Educational Technology - ICT in Education.

Thing 13: Mid Module Reflection

I am amazed to read and see the progress everyone is making this year. It is something to see how nervous we were when we first met back in the summer. Now, everyone is talking about all these wonderful projects they have implemented in their classrooms.

While browsing through everyone's blog, I came across something Roger wrote. He said,

"Although much of the TIS journey has been slightly overwhelming. It's a bit like the anticipation of jumping into a mountain stream... you're sure the entrance into the is going to be a shock, but once you're in the water it's a terrific experience and it definitely wakes you up! It has, and continues to be, a task that I've enjoyed."

He couldn't have explained it better. Since day one, I have feared I couldn't do everything that was required of us. But, while I am late and may not finish, I have enjoyed this learning process. This time last year, I could not imagine sneaking to use a cell phone for math, science, English, and social studies. This time last year, my students had never touched a digital camera or video recorder. Now, because of TIS, they can teach their parents and grandparents how to use them. This has truely been an amazing experience.

Thing 19: Skype

Mary Woody and I used Skype earlier this year with our classes. She has a student who used to go to my school, so we decided we would use Skype to allow our students to reconnect. My students were not only excited to see their old classmate, but were excited to see children their own age in another school. Because of the county consolidation, I will not be with my students next year. I hope one of their teachers would use Skype so we can keep in touch. By the way, my user name is burchbulldogs.

In one of the articles, I found a project titled, "The Progressive Story Project". School age students from all over the world in grades K-8 can register to write stories together. I think this would be a great project for my school. We could even start a project for high school students. An activity like this helps to alleviate the stress our sp.ed. students experience when it comes to reading and/or writing a story. Here is a link to the project.

Thing 20: Creative Commons

This is a photo of the state capital I found using Flickr. I teach WV Studies to my students, therefore, I use a lot of pictures of things around our state because we can't always see the real thing. Flickr is great because you can find pictures of things from so many different perspectives. That is especially important to my students with autism as they tend to generalize objects, people, and places. This picture was taken by J. Stephen Conn and he has a nice library of pictures for each state. You can download this picture from the link below and share and remix this picture through attribution. This photo cannot be used for commerical purposes. More information concerning permissions can be found here.





http://www.flickr.com/photos/jstephenconn/3075539449/

Thing 18: Acceptable Use Policies

Here is a copy of our school's AUP. I know in the four years I have been working at my school, the AUP has not changed. Therefore, I must say our AUP is not current. It does not mention anything concerning the use of cell phones or other handheld devices. It even references the inappropriate use of diskettes, and most of our students probably have never seen a diskette. The policy does not address the appropriate usage of Web 2.0 tools other than email, chatting, pornography, and computer hardware.

At the beginning of the school year, all students are given a copy of the AUP and it is thoroughly discussed in Links class or homeroom. They must take the AUP home and discuss it with their parents/guardians and bring it back to school signed. The school's CYSOP (spell?) is in charge of maintaining record of who has signed it and who has not.

If a student does not have an AUP and the class doing internet research or computer related activities, the student is not permitted to use the computer. The student can complete his/her research using classroom or library materials. This is also the way in which a student who has broken the AUP conducts research.

Thing 22: WV State Technology Conference

I thoroughly enjoyed the WV State Technology Conference. I learned so many things that could help me better reach the needs of my students. I wish I could have attended every session offered as there were so many wonderful topics discussed. The one session I found most informing was "Let's Use Those Cell Phones in the Classroom". The presenter was Ms. Lori Whitt, a technology facilitator in the Kanawha County school system. This was the first time I had ever seen cell phones used to facilitate instruction. During the fifty minute session, I used my cell phone's texting abilities to participate in an activity using http://www.polleverywhere.com/. Because of this session, I decided to take a WVLearns class concerning cell phones in the classroom. I have since used polleverywhere.com and my APTA students easily and joyfully participated. Ms. Whitt also showed us Google's tool in which you can text a question to 466453 (”GOOGLE” on most devices) and Google will send you back the answer for FREE!

I would like to share these tools with my teachers as it is user friendly and many of my co-workers have new iPhones they are excited to use. I think polleverywhere.com would be an engaging, yet quick bell ringer and/or closing activity that could be employed in any content area. Of course, Google's tool could serve the same purpose as a computer. However, recently, we have had some very serious issues involving texting at school, so I don't know if I could win them over, specifically our administration.

On a side note, I really enjoyed listening to Mr. Sean Tuohy. He delivered a nice message and was extremely engaging. I could have listened to him speak for hours. Honestly, as a teacher, especially a sp. ed. teacher, he really won me over with his "We believe in miracles" message.

Thing 12: Find Something New 2.0

I decided to look at the Web 2.0 tool Little Bird Tales, which can be found at http://littlebirdtales.com/. This tool allows you to upload pictures, record voice or text, and email finished work. What I find so wonderful about the tool is the fact there are no ads or links to external sites, which can be distracting for my students. Also, there is an editing feature that allows you to 'doodle' on imported images.

I do not have a lot of reading material to use with my students, so I usually use PowerPoint to create something using our words of the week, etc. This would be a great alternative and students and parents could access it from home. With space and money always an issue, this tool saves on both as you do not have to print or store anything. I am excited to see the work my students could create.

Thing 8: Reflection

I have very much enjoyed reading everyone's posts. Everyone is doing so much with what we are learning, it is truely amazing. I recently visited Becky Moore's blog and listened to her podcast. I think she did a fabulous job and her voice was so clear and vibrant. The background music was appropriate and engaging. Also, the topic was very interesting. I have always wondered how that final decision of whether or not to cancel school was determined. Wonderful job, Becky!!

Thing 6: Voice Thread

This was a fun activity. I like how students can respond in a variety of ways. This tool meets the needs of all learners, and I will certainly use this more often.

Thing 11: Learning with Video

I enjoying using videos to assist with instruction. I use videos all the time in my classroom, whether they be a few seconds or minutes long. I guess teaching Read 180 for two years sold me on the importance of using videos to "anchor" a student's interest. I have found wonderful videos on Youtube. I especially love The Discovery Channel's selection of cartoons depicting historical figures. This year, I have downloaded Harriett Tubman, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and John Henry. For a Mardi Gras lesson, I found a video montage on Teachertube.com. The video showed several photographs of the parade, the city, the people, and other customs. While the pictures were showing, jazz music played in the background. The video helped to increase their understanding of the holiday and its traditions more than I ever could alone. Granted, my students' needs are unique when compared to most, but they generally enjoy and benefit from instruction involving videos.

Two common CSO's related to the Mardi Gras video includes:
RLA.7.2.ES.2: Use resource media to obtain information
RLA.8.3.ES.1: Listen to and communicate with a variety of speakers in order to answer questions regarding the content.

http://www1.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=83163&title=Mardi_Gras_montage&vpkey=1cbc5605d6

Thing 7: Images

While experimenting with this activity, I decided to create a puzzle using a Ray Stevens picture. I thought this would be a good reward activity as this student enjoys Ray Stevens and working puzzles. It literally took seconds to create, so I could change the picture a few times a day. I simply uploaded a saved image from my computer, just like you would do to attach an image to an email.

http://jigsawsite.com/jigsaw-puzzle/12310/3x3.htm

Thing 4: Wall Wisher

Wall Wisher is another fun tool to use in the classroom. I especially appreciate its ability to allow students and teachers to communicate with one another, especially those students who cannot communicate verbally. For the past few weeks, my students have been working on the -unk and -ump word families. Students used their words to create sentences and shared them using Wall Wisher. We practiced reading them aloud and students were eager to see their writings projected on the Smart Board.

Thing 5: Wordle

I think Wordle is a great tool for students. They have so much fun creating and viewing their work when using this tool. I thought wordle would be a great way for my students to review for African American History Month. One day, students developed and typed words describing each person. Then, the next day, students guessed which hero the words were describing. We did not choose a lot of words as it can get distracting for my students. They did a great job creating and using this tool. I do not think this tool will ever get old for my students.

Thing 3: Twitter

I recently subscribed to Twitter and am finding it quite interesting. It is a great way for professionals to share and find information. While working on this task, I had to make myself stop reading. While searching for WVTIS, I came along this tweet:

https://sites.google.com/site/richardbyrnepdsite/website-creation-tools

The article descibes 10 various web platforms teachers can use to create websites for their classroom. I had not heard about most of the sites, so this article was very informing and certainly worth the read.

I am now following 5 technology experts. One person in particular I chose was Bill Gates as he has received a lot of publicity for his work in education reform.

I decided to search topics such as SmartBoard, Special Education, and Autism. I found a few interesting people and am eager to view their information. Many of the special education tweets are empowering articles. Great reads!!