How I Plan To Use My Blog

I plan on using my blog to keep any resources I may use in the future. Sometimes I find things that I would like to use, don't save them, and can't find them again. Another way I may use my blog is to keep parents updated on what their students are doing throughout the year. I will post pictures of different activities we do in the classroom, as well as resources they can use at home to keep the learning process going.

ReadWriteThink

I created a Cube based on my digital story. It explains who the main characters are, main points, and what I liked best about the story. I really enjoyed how easy it was to navigate and that you don't have to sign up to use it. I browsed the site and learned about the Student Interactives that are available. Topics include Organizing & Summarizing, Inquiry & Analysis, Writing Poetry, Writing & Publishing Prose, and Learning About Language. This is a very useful site because nearly everything is covered from Lesson Plans to  Online Professional Development to Parent Resources.

Digital Story

The Lion Who Made Friends With The Fox

I created a digital story using http://www.carnegielibrary.org/kids/storymaker/. The site did not require sign-up. It was easy to navigate and gave instructions. It would be neat to see the stories students come up with. 

*******UPDATE*******

I forgot to include the code for accessing my story. I also made the mistake of not writing it down so I created a new story. The story was originally going to be about a mermaid who saw a girl fishing and made friends with her. I changed my mind and wrote about a mermaid who finds a treasure chest. I really like the site and find it easy to navigate and add graphics, but I haven't figured out how to edit a story after you submit it. 

Here is the code to my new story:

PFG307

Curriki

Curriki is an online community for creating and sharing best teaching practices and curriculum. The community contains lessons, units, assessments, and multimedia resources across all subject areas. Grade levels include K-12 and all material is free with sign-up. Teachers can use Curriki to build on their own curriculum. Outside of the classroom, Curriki is extremely valuable to those who may not have access to high-quality education. The most beneficial component of Curriki, the leading organization behind the OER movement, is that they are currently working to develop multilingual educational content. I didn't find any aspect of the community that is negative. 

Curriki is the leader behind the OER movement

Khan Academy

Kahn Academy is an organization that was created in 2006. The organization films lectures and posts them via YouTube. Lectures are generally short and cover only the topic that the user chooses. For example, the Introduction to Addition is about three minutes long and very basic. Kahn Academy is an amazing resource for both parents and teachers. Parents can use Kahn Academy to help give their child another form of instruction that may help them better understand the material. In the classroom, teachers can use it as a sort of 'co-teacher'. The most beneficial aspect of the site is the amount of material and subjects are covered. Also, the lectures are very thorough. The only negative I found with Kahn Academy is not wanting to rely too heavily on it. It does lack a personal touch that only teachers and parents can give face to face with the student.

Kahn Academy Addition Lecture

Are You Googleable?

Some of the heaviest users of online tools and social media are our younger students. More and more young people are growing up as visual learners and sometimes visual attention seekers. As a teacher in the age of social media, it is important for me to teach my students that what they share what is shared about them over the internet can have a huge impact on their real life and virtual life. I need to know what a digital footprint is so that I can teach my students about the effects of their internet usage is.

                To teach my students about digital footprints, I will ask them if they believe they are “Googleable”. I do not want my students to fear social media. Instead, I want them to be aware that what they share on the internet is permanent even if they hit the “delete” button. No matter what they do, they will have a digital footprint. It is up to them to keep it positive or negative.     

SOURCES: 

http://www.teachhub.com/10-things-your-students-should-know-about-their-digital-footprints http://digitalfootprintimu.weebly.com/follow-your-footprint.html

http://www.sanjuan.edu/Page/24650

http://sybasigns.com.au/digital-resources/web-2-0/digital-resource-managing-your-digital-footprint

Mindmapping

My Mindmap

I focused my research on the opportunities and challenges teachers find when integrating technology into teaching. I think the two most important points are being able to take the time to experiment with technology and network with peers. One thing I like about my map is that it can always be edited and updated. SOURCE: Education World - Integrating Technology