Google Site

This was quite the undertaking for me. It took me a long time to understand how to use all the applications on the website, and how to integrate all of the different aspects into the actual website. With that said, I know feel very confident in using one. I understand how to use it, and can do it pretty fast now. I am excited to use the website tool in my classroom soon!

Final Reflections

I have really enjoyed this class. It has definitely been a learning experience! I have really had to stretch my comfort zone, and expand my knowledge base. However, the rewards were worth the work. I have really learned how to use technological sources that I would not have thought would be possible before this class. I look forward to the opportunity to apply the skills I have learned in this class to my classroom very soon!

Spreadsheet

iMovie

StoryBird

This is an interactive website to create and share stories. You can create an online storyboard for you class, where students activate their own accounts to post stories on the website. You can also create assignment for your class on this website, and it allows you to check for spelling if that is part of your lesson. There is a way to insert a theme, or article to write about. Another cool feature it has is the ability to be graded online. This is a great tool to incorporate into your literacy instruction. The website allows you to make your stories private or public based on what you want.

Animoto

Animoto is a simple tool for making slideshows. You can pair photoes, texts, and music to make short slideshow. You can use this is many ways in your classroom. YOu could use it to create academic presentations. This allows you to be really creative and present information in a fun and interactive way.

Inspiration

Google Form

Google Forms

This is a great tool, you basically use it to make a question-answer survey. You can then send it to anyone, and view their answers once they have completed the survey. This would be a great tool to get to know students at the beginning of the year, feedback from parents, or use it as a peer-to-peer data.

PodBean

This is a great tool to use for web based lessons, you could use it for many different ways. You could record lessons for differnt levels, as a way to individualize your instruction. You could also use PodBean to introduce a new lesson, for students to listen to possibly over the weekend, just so they don't come into the week without any knowledge. It is a great, easy, and fun tool to be incorporated often into your classroom!

The ABC's

Slideshow- Tennessee Fall

Picnik & Smilebox

Picnik
This is a fun tool for editing images, this would be a cool thing to use in the classroom to get students imaginations moving. I would use this in class for numerous activities, you could use it to have students create fun pictures of themselves for projects, or edit pictures for different subjects like science and social studies.

Smilebox
This is a cool activity to use. This might be better than picnik because you can also edit videos as well as pictures. As a teacher you would probably be more likely to use this in the classroom, than just using picnik. 

Wordle and Timetoast

This would be a fun activity for students, you could do a writing activity and then have your students do a wordle for it. You could have students describe themselves, and do a wordle on that. You could do a science lesson, and make a posterboard to hang on the walls! Its a really fun and interactive way to get students more interactive with text and words! I made a wordle of my blog! Here is the link for it:
http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/4215422/Untitled

Timetoast is a really cool program to use for any subject. However, I think it would be serve students for social studies because it does focus on chronological order. I like that you can view the events both in a horizontal and vertical display, which allows students to view the information in whatever way works better for them!

Delicious & Glogster

Delicious:
I don't know if I would use Delicious for personal use, just because I am not sure that I would necessarily think about it while on the internet. I would have to train myself to think of it and use it. It seems like a good program to use for educational purposes, I would want to explore it more, and feel more comfortable with the concept before actually using it in my classroom. However, that is not to say its not a good program! It could be fun to create the "stacks" to use on a subject you are teaching for all different websites that you want your students to use and refer to.


Glogster:
I could definitely see myself using this! I love that there is a tool for school videos, I think adding in a video to a lesson, short or long, is a great way to incorporate technology into teaching, and it is fun for the students! I like all the colors and graphics of the site. I love that you can use it for classroom projects, and that it is paperless!Would be a great thing to use for a group activity for students to post their projects and present using this program!

Webquest

This is a great webquest for first grade science. It is all about penguins, the goal is to learn all about the different kinds of penguins and their habits, locations, and creating a worksheet of all the information! Web quest's are a great way to get students engaged and use technology! I love this activity, and would definitely use it in a classroom! I like how it breaks down the lesson into the different things the teacher wants the students to learn about Penguins. Students construct a Penguin mobile, a penguin food chain, and an experiment to find out how penguins stay warm in the cold temperatures.



http://warrensburg.k12.mo.us/webquest/penguins/index.htm

Examples of Website Evaluation

This is a good example of a website evaluation site. It is really simple and easy to follow. There are four steps, and you can access more information on each step, by clicking the main word that has a link attached to it. This is user friendly, and easy to understand!  http://liblearn.osu.edu/tutor/les1/


This is a step by step process for evaluation a website, it is very user friendly and would be great for kids to use. When you read one step, you have to click next to get you to the next step. At the beginning you can select what grade you are, so the site is adjusted to your level. There are three options: grades 1-2, 3-5, and 6-8. http://www.eduplace.com/kids/usingweb/index.html

website evaluation

Website evaluation:

I would recommend this site. I have heard of the publisher, and would feel confident that it was a good source to use. I liked how the website seemed fun by using bright colors and fun fonts. I feel like this would keep students attention, and they would feel like they were playing a game just for fun, but would be practicing academic subjects at the same time!

I learned that it is important to check out websites thoroughly before using them in the classroom for your students. I now know you should really check all aspects of the site out, because it could have a very negative impact on your students, and you as an educator, if you send them to a site that is inappropriate in any way. I will make sure that I do check out all websites before using them in my classroom.

Using a Wiki

I have never used a Wiki, so this is a new experience for me. So far, I have found everything on the Wiki extremely useful, and well thought out. I like how you can edit a document, and others can go in and edit the same document and it will update it. There are some many possibilities for using this in a classroom, and I could definitely see myself using the techniques I have learned and will continue to learn in the future!

My Learning Goals for this course

I want to really get a grasp on how to use the technology available today! I feel like incorporating tetechnology into the classroom is a great thing to do, and I hope to use it effectively. I need to learn more about wikis, and I can still learn more about blogger, and how to use all of the wonderful tools connected with it! There are lots of things I can still learn about technology, and I hope to really understand how to use them!

Informal Introduction

Informal introduction to class:

            I was born in Dalton, Georgia, however my family moved to Athens, Tennessee when I was one. I lived in Athens until I was 14, when I moved to Nashville. I attended Father Ryan High School, and came to the University of Tennessee as a freshman. My mother was a teacher, and I have always really admired her. I have also always had a desire to make a difference, and came to the conclusion after my freshman year that teaching was my calling. I want to teach Elementary School, I am very excited to student teach next year and get some experience in different grades. I love younger children, and am leaning towards kindergarten.  I have two sisters, one is a Senior in High school, and the other is starting Kindergarten this year! I love being with my family and friends. I enjoy running, reading, camping, being outside, and spending time with my boyfriend of almost 3 years, Drew. I am not the most technologically savy person, however I catch on to things quickly and can usually figure out what I am doing!