Scavenger Hunt

The scavenger hunt was a great way to get students outside, learning and doing.  Being able to find the objects that relate to the class content, take a picture, and put it in a presentation is a great tool.  I really liked using the Google docs presentation much better than using the Picasa Web application, but I think that I would probably use both at some time when I teach.  I think students will have fun and be able to learn without even knowing they are learning! Plus these tools will be applicable in the future and things they can use down the road.

Thoughts on Picasa

Picasa Web seems to be a great tool to add the use of photos in the classroom.  For students to create slides and collect pictures about a content area would definitely help in the learning.  I also have a very hands on learning style for my classroom.  My hopes are that my classroom is active with a variety of activities students can use to learn about science.  Computer web tools are a great way for students to learn and I am very glad that technology is a requirement imposed by the state.

Web Quest

Webquest is an excellent tool for me to use for science.  It is basically a great science experiment where you can use technology.  Just like IBA, there are so many subjects in science that are great to use with technology.  This site gives clear direction about what the goal of the assignment will be, how to do the assignment, and how the assignment will be graded.  Also, as a teacher it is a great tool to make sure you are using the common core standards because you have to list the standard and the key ideas you want to accomplish with this assignment that meet those standards.  Some of the Webquests have a link to provide feedback.  This would be a great way yo see if the students like the project and if it something that you would want to do again.  I plan on using lots of these in my classroom as well as some of the other things I have learned that are technology based.

IBA

I like the idea of using a web based activity to teach a lesson.  My teaching style is more of a discovery and inquiry style.  Teaching science offers a variety of subjects and requires the student to do hands on activities.  The use of technology can help me incorporate questions and research that require higher level thinking.  I also think that its a good use of additional resources other then just using a textbook.  There are so many websites that offer quality information and some that allow the students access to interactive tools and games.  These are great ways to learn the required information and still have fun at the same time.  I think that I just need to get more proficient in creating the inquiry based activity, but I am sure that will happen with practice and time.

Creating and Evaluating Websites

I have had other classes this year that have required evaluation and assessment of websites.  I took this religion class in the fall and we had a group project where we had to find a website and decide whether the site was a primary and reliable source.  It is very interesting to see how many websites are not reliable, yet we tend to use them for information.  I liked doing this assignment just because it makes you look into a site you may think holds accurate information and you find that either you are right or totally wrong.  Most of the time now when I have to cite a website, I really look for journals and government and education sites because I know I am getting valid information.  When I think about using the web in my classroom, I realize now how important it is to have sites already available that I have checked and know to be accurate.  It would be too easy for my students to find sources that didn't provide accurate information. 

Interesting Teacher Wiki

I found a good and informative middle school science wiki which is perfect for me: Science Wiki.  I hadn't thought about using something like this in my classroom until we learned about wiki in class.  I know that Knox County has what they call Parent Portal and that gives student and parents access to teachers, grades, etc.  I like the idea of using a wiki much better because you can personalize it much more.  This wiki that I found for another teacher provides information about policies and expectations of her classroom, homework and projects students need to be working on, reminders, and additional information about the unit the class is learning.  These tools can really help parents get involved in their child's classroom and assist the teacher and student by just knowing what needs to be done.  I know as a parent myself that it really helps when I know what is going on in the classroom and what and when things are due.  My son isn't very good at staying on task and I know this to be true for other students as well. The thing I noticed about many teacher wikis are they lack a little spunk.  Sometimes I wonder if they are required to create one and do not decide to do so on their own.  There isn't much creativity or time taken to create or update the presentation.  I would definitely make sure that I was making the presentation desirable and the accessibility and maneuverability simple to ensure parents were able and willing to use this source.

Welcome and Expectations.... technology thoughts to ponder

My name is Kristen and I am originally from Southwest Florida.  I graduated from The University of South Florida with a B.A. in Criminology.  I had various jobs after college working in counseling and teaching situations.  I was a counselor for emotional and behavior problem juveniles.  I have been an aquatics director and swim and lifeguard instructor and am presently going back to school at The university of Tennessee and teaching water aerobics at the YMCA.  I have a wonderful husband and 3 great kids (2 boys and a girl). 

I wasn't sure what to think when I signed up for this class.  Now that class has started, I am truly loving every bit of it.  I knew technology would play a bigger role in the classroom than when I went to school two decades ago, but I didn't realize how much until now.  I know that I will be able to learn many things that I can use in my classroom.  I like the idea of creating a blog for my classroom to help connect to parents and students.  This will allow both to know what is going on the classroom, what is coming up and just some fun information about the classroom activities.  I expect to learn much more and am looking forward to it!