Slide.com Project

Teachers' Websites I've Found

Google wasn't the best tool when it comes to finding resourceful  teachers' websites... But here are the ones I found more interesting than the others. They are called Ms. McGowan's First Grade,  Ms Gray's Classroom and Mandy's Tips for Teachers. Each of them has a beautiful setting of their websites, they are veryattractive to me and made me want to explore a little more. Ms McGowan's website has a lot of information on what is happening in her classroom, all the updates for parents. She listed out all the assignments and projects on the website. There is also other information such as the schedules, the book lists etc. It is very resourceful and interactive with the parents. Ms Gray's definitely a music teacher, seeing that she has different background music going on on each page. There are also newsletters and materials used in classroom up in her website for parents and students to see.  Mandy's website, on the other hand, provide sample lesson plans and tips for teachers. Next to the lesson plans and projects ideas that I can borrow, I can also use their websites as samples! They are very beautiful and welcoming.

Interview with Ms. Rogers

When it comes to the topic of technology use in classroom, I chose to interview Ms. Marilyn Rogers, a 2nd grade teacher in Sunnyside Elementary School. I have worked in Ms. Rogers' classroom in my senior year as my practicum experience. She is a very passion about education and I thought she would be a good candidate when it comes to the topic of educational technology. So here's the interview:

LF: So Ms. Rogers, among all the technological tools in school, which one is your favorite?

MR: I really like this new document camera. It has been very convenient to teach the kids with this tool. We were learning clocks and time unit, money unit, it is easier to show them the clocks and coins through this camera than holding them up. You know, it creates chaos when all of them are trying to stand up to take a closer look. I also really like the intercom system... We don't have a big school, but it is always great to get messages immediately from other offices.

LF: I see. Seeing all sorts of different tools you have, is there any frustration with them?

MR: Ah, yes there is a lot. The eSIS system! The computers! Ah they just drive me crazy at the end of school day after the kids go home. I feel very unintelligent when it comes to computers, sometimes I thought there is something wrong this them, but at the end it is always me... I honestly still have problems with the copy machine!

LF: I am sure the technology people in the school can always help you out. Next to the frustrations, do you have any misconception about the technology use in classroom?

MR: Hm, I never really had any misconception. They are just new things to the classrooms, and I am sure the students are going to be very excited to new things, it's their nature. 

LF: Are there any hurdles for you when it comes to technology though? Have you ever heard of the other teachers having hard time with new technology in classrooms?

MR: There has to be hurdles. For teachers, it is like they are learning again as students. And they have to learn fast because this is what they are going to teach the students! They are just coming out non-stop, once you settled when computers there are new things coming out again... It is truly a life-long process.

LF:Is there any great success use of technology in your classroom?

MR: Probably doing lessons with the document camera. We don't have a lot of technological tools provided in individual classrooms. Since computers are only for teachers, the document camera is the only one that students could use in learning. Other than that, we also go to computer labs for them to use the typing software. 

LF: Is there any inspiration for you to use technology?

MR: Well, I can't think of a specific inspiration... Except technology is pretty much taking over the curriculum. Every student knows how to use computer. It does make my workload a lot lighter when I don't have to hand write the grades and calculations. Technology will save a lot of time if you know how to take good use of it.

LF: What do you the future have for the technology in classrooms?

MR: There would be a lot of expansions in technology in the future. I can just imagine how every student would have a lap top in front of them the whole day. Assignments, activities are up there in Internet. Everything just has to deal with technology, I am not even positive if I am going to have my job a few years later.

LF: Well I am sure you will Ms. Rogers, the kids just love you. And thank you so much for answering these questions for me.

MR: You are welcome, anytime!

I Have My Guidelines, Now I'm Going to Critique

On Postrank.com, I've found these 3 blogging sites: Edublogger, Dangerously Irrelevant and BetterExplained. Since now I have my own set of guidelines that's came up by my PLN group, I would have a better sense of how to look into the blogs.

The first one is Edublogger..

This site provides tips and tricks into using web 2.0. The tutorials are very clear with pictures, the author uses full yet simple sentences to guide visitors different through using this tool. The layout of the blog is worth a thumbs up too! It's very simple and sophisticated with all the links that may be helpful on the side. It has a detailed module on the author's information so visitors can acknowledge that this is a professional website.

And second, Dangerously Irrelevant..

My first impression to this blogging site is that I was unable to tell what kind of information is it trying to expression. The header gives a very...technological feeling. The blogs on there are rather short and sweet, most of them are opinions made by the author more than the subject itself. The links provided at the bottom of each entry (Twitter, Facebook, Stumble...) take up more space than the actual entry itself. I don't have a strong favor in this site... Especially with its lack of interesting pictures!

Okay, last one... BetterExplained..

The title of the website is pretty self-explanatory... I thought. Yet I went through the website and still failed to find a central point to this. Sure, there were some articles that detailedly explain on some certain subjects. Other than that, the information is pretty abstract. I like the layout of the site overall, but exceptions on the content itself..

My Storybird

My Best Friend on Storybird

When It Comes to Blogging...

Here are a few things that my PLN group consider critical in blogging.

1. Interesting topic to catch the readers' attention.

2. Formal language with proper grammar and vocabulary usage. dOn'T tYpe LiKe tHiS. Dn't blog like u r txting. 

3. Including pictures in your blogs can make a good composition for the blogs. Add captions too if it's appropriate!

4. When you want to include some educational information, make sure you find the right sources to cite. Wikipedia has everything? Nice try, but no. 

5. Be creative! Don't make it sound like you are making a very formal presentation, it just has to be presentation. A little humor won't harm the quality of the blog. 

Teachers And Comics

I can't believe I could actually put teachers and comics in the same sentence (Oops, I just did.) But looking back I remember how much trouble students could get if they are reading comics secretly in class or just in school. The comic piece on the right was created by our PLN group last week, demonstrated how new technology had set the line between the older and younger generation. 

Comics are interactive pictures that tell stories through mostly pictures and dialogues, in other words, much better than reading textbooks. But the time consumption of creating comics are too long for educators to consider. Also, if students are just reading dialogues but not full sentences, what's the point? Comics shouldn't be used as the major material in classrooms. Yet adding some into a presentation, or just the beginning of the lesson could pick up students' interest in learning. The convenience of composing comics on Internet makes it even more convincing for educators to use this piece of material as part of the teaching resource. Imagine how much fun students could have when they can create their own comic as part of assignment? Yes, a lot of fun indeed.

Reflections on Teachers' Facebook Use

The article assigned is about the professionalism question of teachers using Facebook. The purpose of Facebook is for people to connect on Internet, sharing photos, interesting information, or playing games etc... I did not understand why people think teachers should not have a Facebook account? Isn't that a limitation to a teacher's social life? I couldn't disagree the fact that there should be a fine line between teachers and students relationship in real life and in Facebook. But how about privacy settings? Teachers can actually make a list of Facebook "friends" that would not be able to see some of the private information. Wouldn't that be the best of both? Teachers can't set negative examples for students, students can still connect with the teacher in a professional way online. I personally have a few teachers as my "friends" on Facebook. Some are my former teachers so it is nice to reconnect with them with more convenience (Yay for technology!) I know how people say what you put on Internet CANNOT be removed, but honestly, if it's not there, as a student I really won't bother to find an inappropriate picture of my respected teacher... It's just disturbing at many levels.

Teachers take up a huge role as role models in  students' life, so even if they are "friends" on Facebook, keep it professional and appropriate would be the good way to go, instead of banning teachers out of our dear Facebook. 

My iGoogle Page!

Ta-da! Here is my very colorful iGoogle page. It has a lot of random gadgets that I either found helpful or simply interesting!Let's see, I have my Daily Shakespeare quotes, Founding Fathers and Presidents Quotes, Disney Animation Art, Babelfish Translation Box, Art Painter Box, Random Facts, Word of the Day, Calculator, Art of the Day, Leadership Quotes, Youtube, CNN.com, Gmail...  And very artsy theme for my page! It was not very easy to gather all these gadgets since the choices on iGoogle stuff are rather limited...

These gadgets may sound very random, not too educational but as I was adding them to my page, I imagine myself one day as a teacher in the classroom and opened up this page... Bam! My students would be able to see beautiful pictur

es from Disney (And everybody loves Disney, really, except this one shows the wicked stepmother/witch from Snow White..) There are quotes from former presidents which of course, has to be related with their social studies! Dictionary, word of the day, and quotes from Shakespeare are going to be helpful with language arts I suppose? Of course! Art Painter and Art of the day can keep their creativity soaring everyday. Youtube and CNN.com can keep us updated with what is going on, or just an interesting video to show the students every day won't hurt. On the calculator... Well, it just comes in handy when I can't find a calculator in person!

21st Century Schools, 21st Century Teachers

21st century, schools, teachers, educators, education systems... There words were just stuck on my head for the past few days. It was almost as unavoidable as the fact that technology has literally changed our world! Every child in schools know about computers, going on Internet for their favorite online games... Teachers are using different technological tools to keep up with this trend and make lessons easier to engage in. As educators in 21st century, they have to absorb and learn everything new in order to be updated with their knowledge bank. Because they are, after all, what our future generation is looking up to. The blog about the schools and teachers in 21st century had given me too many thoughts of roles that teachers are carrying on their shoulders now. Simply teaching from what are printed on the textbooks are not enough,  they have to integrate the book knowledge with activities that students can gain experience with... That is not an easy task right now. An eligible fun experience, in today's students' standard, has to do with technology. How about some web-surfing on historical figures? Or take some pictures with a digital cameras for science projects? Students go very excited over those. But it is the spirit of learning and having fun that teachers wouldn't want the students to miss out. 

I remember when I first used computer in schools back in 3rd grade, it was even more exciting than going to recesses! Sitting in the bright, spacey room with the A/C on, each of us had a brand new computer sitting on our desks. I learnt how to set up my first email account, use the brush function on Paint.. Of course, these are no longer difficult to the 3rd graders today. Yet looking at the students' excitements and poor restrain from standing up when the teacher pulled out the document camera, it was like looking back at my old self who wouldn't stop admiring myself for being the brilliant artist.. on Paint. Technology is like an invisible textbook that has to be stored in every educator's mind, and the knowledge shall be passed on, and enriched with different things through the future years. 

Some Technology Brainstorming

Today, we had a little fun with brainstorming all kinds of technological tools in classrooms and put the together. This beautiful poster on the left showed all kinds of technological tools that our PLN group came up with for our dream classroom. It was made on Powerpoint and composed by images we found on Google. We thought these tools can help students to be more engaged into learning, and usage of these tools would make it more convenient for both students and teachers to interact with one another. The new advanced technology also had the advantage of saving a lot of time and resources for the teachers. For example, the use of scanner in classroom can allow teacher to scan students' works in class (either worksheets or artwork!), then save into 

the computer. It could avoid the chaos of losing students' work, and create a easier access to grading etc.               

This image on the right is a Wordle art I created. It has all kinds of tools (even imaginary ones) that I think would exist in the future classrooms. I think they would make the classroom environment more comfortable and convenient for the students.  I believe in order to make students to be more engaged in learning, the atmosphere in the classroom must be relaxing and interesting. Of course, the limitation to my imagination doesn't help with planning what tools to have in my future classroom. But I am totally looking forward to see what kind of advancing tools we are going to be provided tomorrow, next year, and in next 10 years.

My First Day in Tech 221

Technology has become a very essential part to our society structure. The wellness of our economy being depends a lot on technology. Not to mention that majority of the schools in our nation has taken the advantage of technology as a new approach to educate our new generation.I will always remember working with some 2nd graders in an elementary school last year, and their excitement every Monday because they could go to the computer lab to learn typing. From this experience, I strongly agree that including technology in classrooms can increase the students' interest in learning, which of course, is what every parent and teacher wish for. 

In Tech 221, my expectations are to explore and learn more technological tools as preparations for my teaching career in the future. I realize there are a lot of websites and softwares out there that would be very useful in classrooms, yet I never seem to have any chances to find them. I know in fact if I start to recover them when I am already a teacher, it is going to be too much work. I am hoping to have a new experience with technology in this class and enjoy myself as well!

My first day observation of this class was, well, this is a very crowded class. It is both a good and bad thing to have that many students, good thing is there would be a lot of peer support when it comes to difficulties; bad thing is that it would be hard to get attentions from the teacher when there are more serious questions. I also like how our assignments are already put on the website so we can just refer back to it if we need any reminders. 

Our weekly tasks seem very interesting and I am very excited for the upcoming weeks! :)