Happy New School Year!

Hey,everyone...have a wonderful school year.   I officially do not start until next week, but I have been in my classroom several times already.  I'm slowly getting there.  I will be working with all new members in my third grade team...Hopefully all will fall neatly into place, but I feel very responsible since I am the only returning third grade teacher.  It puts me in a leadership role, so ... lots of pressure from every angle... Yikes!   I may be asking you for suggestions and ideas, so... stay tuned! : )

Teaching Redefined...

  The  article Rigor Redefined  focuses on the type of learning that students need to be successful in today's world... things like collaboration, using your imagination, analyzing, writing, problem-solving, etc. Technology along with good teachers can foster these skills in their students.  The article contends that good teachers do not spoon-feed answers rather they allow students to work together to solve problems and communicate solutions to the class.  The author notices "schools that are succeeding at making adequate yearly progress but failing our students. "   It is true, though.. many jobs/professions today are definitely team-oriented and require good thinking and communication skills. I guess teachers need to start asking the right question, not "How well am I teaching?.... rather "How well are the students learning?" 

Balanced Approach....

I just read The Internet Breaks School Walls Down  (see the link below... should get you there this time! )and  really don't know what to think about the current status on education.  This article contends that the  Web has transformed  from a  receive information tool into a receive and publish to the world tool.  However, the problem is schools are not allowing students to use tools that they are naturally using to become editors and publishers to a vast audience.  While I agree that technology must become a bigger part of our educational system in new and innovative ways, I don't think that we should throw everything "traditional" down the drain either. Kids also need face to face social experiences and practice as well. People as well as innovative technology help to mold lifelong learners. A school that is balanced in both of these areas would be the most successful.

http://www.edutopia.org/new-face-learning

Blogging Convert

I am really enjoying reading all of the blogs! For someone who started out thinking that blogs were for people who had too much time on their hands, I think  I am a convert! I have learned so much as others share ideas, frustrations, great discoveries, etc.  Some of the blogs are hilarious and some are thoughtful and thought-provoking.  I hope I am not becoming "addicted" to yet another digital thing!  My husband calls me a wanna be geek.  He is so right... I am a wanna be, but  most days I have no clue! It is comforting to commiserate with others experiencing some of the frustrations that go along with technology.  The most important aspect of blogging, to me, is the ability to collaborate with other teachers routinely.  Collaboration takes the stress out of teaching for me.  If someone else has a great idea, why rewrite the book?  The problem is, teachers need a platform to share their great ideas... enter blogging... I'm sold!

MyeBook

Well, I started the final project and decided to try a portfolio.  I am  thinking about creating one as an exit option for next spring. I started a portfolio in Google sites, but for this project I am using MyeBook.  I spent one marathon day with a laptop on my porch and almost have the project done.  The motivation was... I will be going to Florida in a few days, and I don't want to think about coming home to a "project." MyeBook is really fun...give it a try. My suggestion is to listen to the tutorials first, they are really helpful.  I like to explore and sometimes do not take the time to do that! That usually results in spending more time than I need to figure out the program.  MyeBook is user friendly and creates a very nice product.  Students could easily use it to write stories, autobiographies, etc. As teachers I feel it is very important to continue to learn and grow. There are many great programs out there that motivate and create excitement for learning.  We need to be aware of what is out there. It is important to model lifelong learning. That is our goal for all of our students, right?  If you are interested in checking out MyeBook, you need to go to the site and create an account. I can add your email to my account and you would be able to open my book if you are interested. The following link will take you to MyeBook.  One thing is certain, I sure learned a lot these past few weeks....

http://www.myebook.com/

Prezi is.....

 Prezi is...... well let's just say that it took time for it to grow on me!  Our group decided to use it for the digital storytelling project.  I tried Prezi before, but honestly gave up on it after a few unsuccessful attempts.  When our group decided to use it, I agreed, but knew that it was going to be challenging for me.  Well, the project is underway and I think that I kind of like it.  It is certainly random, not neat and tidy as PowerPoint.
( I also like PowerPoint, sorry Dr. McCullough!)  However, Prezi presentations are exciting and less apt to result in snoozing viewers.  It took time to learn how to manipulate it.  The tutorials were easy to follow, but I was not accustomed to online collaboration . The people that I am working with are wonderful, but  Prezi online collaboration leaves a lot to be desired.  Even though others may be editing with you, there is no way to communicate with them in real time... I could be wrong.  Maybe there is... I am not a Prezi expert!
 Learning a new program can be frustrating, however, it is a good feeling to have gained knowledge that I am sure  I will use in the future in the context of both home and school. As our world gets more technological, we need to keep up and give our students the opportunities to grow and learn in many different ways.
 **The following website has great ideas on how to use Prezi in the classroom.
                 http://tech-teach-kz.wikispaces.com/Prezi

Retain and Reuse!

The virtual field trip definitely expanded my computer literacy! I know that there is so much more to learn and hopefully I will be able to use all of the cool features that are at our disposal at Google in my classroom this upcoming school year. The first feature that I used for the field trip was Google maps.  I fumbled my way around there and still do not feel I have mastered it.  I did watch a tutorial for it and it seemed easy.. and it is easy.. I just can't "control" it.  It constantly shifts,etc.  I need to practice a little more.  I also tried to add a photo or a video, I know the process and after I thought that I did everything correctly, the picture would not appear in the box where I had the marker on the map.  There was a small icon that showed a broken file. I must not have done everything correctly.  Suggestions are welcome, because I am a bit frustrated at this point!  I LOVED  making the form! That was so much fun and know that I will use that feature in my classroom this year!  One little glitch, I chose a different background for the form, but when I open it on my Presentation, it still has the white background.  I need to check it out again.. but if you have any ideas, please send them my way! Instead of using a regular Google doc, I used the presentation doc.  This is similar to Microsoft PowerPoint. The feature was very user-friendly, and I really liked using it.  It is very limited and obviously does not have all of the full blown effects of PowerPoint, but its advantage is.... it is free!!!  And, it gets the job done! I have been sharing my work with Jen as I finish each part of the virtual field trip. That is another awesome feature... the document sharing! Whew, so much for rambling on about Google... my biggest concern is that I need to RETAIN the info to reuse it.  Google takes care of that too... it does have helpful tutorials when needed. How did we function before Google? : )

This is the tutorial that I used to help me muddle through Google Maps...
Click here for a.....
Good tutorial for Google maps