Last/Makeup Blog

I thought I'd check out my peers blogs again and see what they've been following and have found interesting. I found Cool Cat Teacher Blog. This site has a free webinar that you can attend and learn more information. There is a whole slew of things on this site. I found a blog on the site about wikis....it breaks it down and explains what it is and describes what they did with it....quite interesting! Ok...well I'm gonna go try and find more things that may interest me on this site.....which so far are few.

Following Another Blog...

For this blog I thought that it was neat to follow...I believe the name of it is Honorable Mention. I have to say that going through and just reading the thoughts they have on different topics related to Early Childhood was quite interesting.
The discussion on conflict resolution makes you really think of different ways that you can work with children to work out the problems without an adult. I strongly believe in encouraging the children to work out their problems...as long as no one is being hurt. I tell me children (students) all the time...."Use your words and not your hands"..."Practice saying, 'Stop I don't like that' instead of shouting or hitting"...etc.
I enjoyed many of the posts on this blog..but I do have to say that one I thoroughly enjoyed reading was the Importance of Play.....I can't explain how important play is in a child's life. I would just repeating this lady if I continue...so I would suggest just reading her blog posts...there's alot of good stuff.

Following a Teacher Blog

I returned to the blog of a teacher that I have been following. I decided to check out some of her posts that I never looked at before. I found it interesting that she did a snail trail art project. I couldn't help but wonder what people...such as early childhood professionals would think if they saw children making art with creatures. Other than that I thought the lesson looked sort of neat and would consider trying it.
I also liked the Gingerbread lesson that she has posted...and the extensions you can do after reading the book. I will have to definitely have to remember this resource when I teach about the Gingerbread Man again!
The excellent ideas on this blog are almost endless....it's wonderful!

Tech tools that I experimented with...

I tried out several of the tech tools that were listed on BB...the first was Voicethread. I like it...and would love to find a way to incorporate that into my classroom. I would love to make books with it for my students to share with their family. I would also like to use this for personal use - share pics with family and talk about it!
Google Earth is way cool! I went in and looked up my mom's house...where I grew up! I was unable to actually pull up her house...there weren't enough pictures uploaded of the actual house. But, I did get to see the street and the business' that are growing all around our neighborhood. I also pulled up my house here in Anchorage! I was able to find many street views of it! I could tell you it was summer time because all my flowers were out, and you could tell I was away at work, because the paper was still out on the front porch! And it had to be a weekend day because I only get weekend papers! Crazy!
I've also played with starfall at my old internship placement. I think that it's a very good program and quite educational, however I think it's overused in the classroom. It was used as a time filler and as a tool to give the students' something to do. Don't agree with this kind of use.
I also scoped out the typing site. I liked this...I even thought my husband can use this! He thought I was at a creepy site though, cause all he heard while I played around was these weird voices! Such a kiddy thing! Totally useful though, and a skill that all children need to learn!

Updated Version of my Tech Lesson Plan

So, some mentioned on my other one that I left parts of my lesson plan out. Yes, I did...I knew that...after I submitted it...but was trying to go off the top of my head. I have done this many, many times - as it is part of your internship...but was trying to go off memory. So, I've filled in the gaps..hope everyone can open the link!

Tech Lesson Plan

Following Educational Blogs...

I went back to the blog that I have been following...and got addicted! I found other blogs on fingerplay ideas (scarecrows on a glove, and leaves - I WANT!). I also got the idea of adding real life things to a block area: such things as rocks (she said the kids loved it). I'm inspired...and will now be returning to her blog to get more awesome ideas!

How do we connect with global education communities?

Honestly I have not one stinkin' clue! I've never done penpals or anything of that sort. I searched delicious.com and yahoo and didn't find anything but dating sites and things that seems irrelevant.

I contacted my husband's uncle, who teaches (and is brillliant..if I do say so), he has alot of experience and knowledge and am still waiting for a response. I thought I'd tap into his brain and see what resources he could share.

I also discussed it with a friend/co-worker, and she asked if things such as discussion boards and other such communications would count as "global education communities". But defining that was hard for me too, so it left me not really knowing exactly what i'm looking for!

Anywho, I'm gonna paroose everyone else's blogs and wait for Uncle Jack to get back to me, and hopefully gain some insight.

Searching Assistive Technology

I honestly first went to yahoo and started to type in assistive technology...and then I remembered that we had learned a new way of pulling up sites on things we're researching. Sooo..I went to delicious.com! There I signed up for my own membership-thingy! I then typed in assistive technology...looked at the first few things that came up. I ended up bookmarking 2 of them. One that I looked at had a huge list of products used for assistance, and the other had more information type things about it - what it is, what it's used for, how it fits in with IDEA, etc. I also found a wiki that was all about assistive technology.

After browsing around on sites that I fould through delicious.com, I then went back to yahoo.com to see if I could find anything there. I found one site that was worth my while, and the rest was just a waste of my time!

I am easily frustrated with technology sometimes, like if it doesn't want to work, I just give up or find a way to get help. With searches on yahoo or google I find myself looking at things that are a waste/garbage, so I quite looking on there.

So, I think it's safe to officially say that I'm digging delicious.com and might find myself starting all my research/searches there!

Voicethread Lesson Plan Ideas

1. My first idea, which was generated from the VT, is that I could have my students make books. I would scan and upload the pages, and then have the students narrate their own book. This could be for any grade between p-3ish!

2. Or I could do a class book where each child does a page. Again scan and upload each page and have the children narrate their own pages! This would be for more like p-K!

3. I could creat a book or use a book that we read in class and use VT to read to the children, and they could use this technology as a way of being read to/reading! This is p-K level!

*I tried thinking of things that are preschool-Kinder, because that's what I teach and am trained in...thus the more pre-K lesson ideas!

What are your thoughts?!

Technology Lesson Plan

We'll see if this link works...let me know!

Technology Lesson Plan

I do have to say that this has been one crazy ride....I can't..for the life of me..get this lesson plan posted. I am still trying to find ways to copy and paste...is it possible? If I can't find anyway to do this, I'm just going to have to do it the long way...so until then...

My new tech tool

I would have loved to check out the voicethread, but was unable to pull up the link. I did however explore more with googleearth.com. I was able to pull up my moms home in Illinois, but wasn't able to view her house in a bubble. However they showed me an arial view of her home. I then looked up my own home! And I was able to pull up several street views of my house! It was kinda cool, and I can tell you that it was all taken this summer, and just by looking at my house and my neighbors houses I was able to sorta tell what time of the year it was taken! I also had to laugh when I saw that my newspaper was sitting out waiting for me to pick up! And while looking at both shots, I could tell what time of day they were both taken!
I think this would be a great tool to use with my students, or any learner for that matter! It was fun for me..who's about to graduate college! It is a good geographical lesson for students. It can be used in conjunction with a flat stanley lesson (find out where exactly stanley traveled). You could use this now in conjunction with all the olympic hype - find out where exactly vancouver is and find out what it looks like. You can use it to find out where things in history have happened. The ideas are endless!

Following blogs

So..I've been looking at a blog by a preschool teacher. I'm thoroughly enjoying her lesson ideas...like the "Goodnight Moon" theme. The blog is called "Teaching and Learning with preschoolers". I love getting new and interesting ways to do a lesson, especially when it has a literacy basis. The lady who wrote the blog also included literacy center ideas and much much more!

Technology Skills that Teachers MUST have!

I believe that teachers must first of all know how to use the technologies used in the classroom. Such technologies include: basic use of applications and navigation of computer, able to use and navigate the internet, use smart boards, use camera/camcorder, among other technologies in the classroom. Teachers must then know the different areas of digital citizenship, and then must be able to teach all areas of it to their students. Teachers must all be able to use different forms of technology to help students learn and meet target skills. Alot of teachers either just use technology as a filler or other reasons that aren't in direct relation of what the teacher wants the students to learn, so teachers must learn how to use these pieces as ways to encourage learning, specifically target skills.
These are the main skills that I believe teachers must have! Of course there are several others, but I feel that these are the ones I feel strongest about!

Did you know 3.0/New Age of Literacy

So after watching "Did you know 3.0" I have to say that I think the numbers were amazing. I do have to say though, that at the end it discussed what people think technology will be like in 2013 and 2049, and I have to say that I'm not to confident in those estimations. I know that technology has come along way, and it progresses faster and faster every year. But I can't help but think back when apple computers were the only things I had heard of, and knowing what they thought technology would be like in 2010. Alot has happened, but I don't think it was to the extreme of what they had estimated. I don't know, this is just my opinion.
I also think it's scary that tech majors will have alot of changes to withstand while persuing their degree. That in the first year or 2 of what they learn, by the time they graduate it won't be in use or needed info anymore.
As for the second video about the new age of literacy, I thought it was sort of ironic. Seeing as it was about when paper and pencils were brought into the schools and how teachers didn't know what ever they would do! And now, we are trying to bring technology into the classrooms and some teachers are shut off from it, and not knowing what to do with it. Some feel it's distracting and will take away from lessons or "more important things". Little do teachers know how useful all these materials can be, if they are used correctly and serve a purpose. If a teacher understands the technology/materials and find activities for the children to use them that is in correlation with the target skills that are being taught, then technology will only help the children and improve the learning that is done in the classroom. There are alot of programs out there that have proven to improve scores of students based on target skills that were exercised in the programs.
I am open to technology and I want to learn how to use the resources that will be offered for me to use! I want to have lessons in using the smart board, and learn how to implement the white board as well as computer programs and other tools into my lessons!

A New Semester

So, now this blog will be transformed from my literacy blog, to my internship blog, and now to my tech blog! So, I will enjoy sharing this with everyone..and keeping in touch with others via this!