Computers and Security

Online Communication Tools

Look carefully at your classroom’s computers, or think of a classroom computer lab that you have interacted with in the past.  Discuss the types of security you have in place to prevent malicious software and/or hackers and cite any areas of concern.

Online communication tools are highly important in this day and age.  We rely on the online communication world to communicate with one another on almost every level.  I think about my personal use of online communication tools and how important they are to staying in contact with family members I may not physically see for years.  I love that I am able to send an email, chat through Facebook, post pictures on Facebook or Skype with someone that I have not seen in many years or may not see for many years.  It allows us to stay connected with one another.

When I think about the use of online communication tools within the classroom, I know I would not be as an effective communicator without them.  I send weekly newsletters, emails, field trip permission slips, pictures, etc. through online communication tools.  Again, in this day and age, parents rely on these tools just as much as educators.  Many of my colleagues share grades with students through online communication tools….this allows teachers and parents to work together to identify strengths and weaknesses in a students’ academic progress.

At my school, I know we have a fairly secure firewall or safety net for malicious software and hackers.  We have invested lots of money in safety for our technology.  We are usually denied access when trying to get to a site which contains any derogatory language….we are also not allowed to go to public social sharing sites like Facebook or Twitter….we are not allowed to check Hotmail, Yahoo mail, AOL mail, or Gmail through our school computers.  If there is a specific site that is not accessible, we can go to our IT guy and he will lift the access if he feels it is a safe site.  Again, at times it is frustrating, but it can always be fixed…we have a very knowledgeable staff when it comes to technology and they want us to remain safe from the malicious software and the hackers out in cyberspace.  I feel our computer lab and classroom computers are safe from most malicious software and most hackers based on the security measures we have in place. 

Software Use in the Classroom

Identify a software program that you use in the classroom and the instructional objectives and goals you will meet with the software.

I use the Everyday Mathematics online software on a regular basis to help enhance my instructional objectives and goals.  One particular objective that has been addressed in the first couple of months of school is the concept of number comparisons…which is an objective in our curriculum as well as a CCS for kindergarten.  Students play a game called “Monster Squeeze.”  In this game, the computer chooses a number and the students must guess what number was chosen.  As students choose a number the monsters close in around the correct numbers by stating that the number chosen was greater than the mystery number or smaller than the mystery number.  Not only do students have to identify numbers, but they must compare numbers based on if they guessed to high or too low.  It is an extremely engaging game with great graphics and the students are constantly asking to play the game.  Once students master their numbers 1-10, the game can be differentiated to include numbers 11-20.  This provides a challenge to some of my kindergarten students. 

This program is extremely efficient and works well with the curriculum already in place.  It serves as a way to reinforce the objectives taught in the Everyday Mathematics program.  The only problem I see with using this program as a whole group activity is that your high end students find it non-engaging after a few times of playing…they would prefer a more challenging game.  I would like to have several iPods in my classroom that I could use with my high end students when we play games as whole group….I could download games that would provide more of a challenge for them which would keep them more engaged.  All in all, I enjoy the program and find it to be a great way to revisit skills and concepts taught in the classroom. 

WEBQUESTS

Webquest Activity

     I had never created or used a webquest before during this assignment.  I truly enjoyed exploring the internet and looking at a wide variety of webquests.  In this exploration, I found several webquests that I will utilize in the classroom.  I think it is a very engaging way to get students involved in an activity.  It allows them to review a lot of websites and online resources and do activities that they would not have done on their own.  Most of the webquests viewed had students be detectives trying to solve a problem (find information) which led to a product.  I think a webquest would be an intriguing activity for any age group because it is engaging and informational. 

     I have always considered myself to be quite computer savvy, but found creating a webquest to be somewhat of a challenge.  I had to research and explore many before creating one on my own.  I had to understand the purpose and importance of using a webquest and figure out how students would actually use a webquest within the classroom.  I found for myself, I would probably not have students actually go to the webquest on their own, but actually go through it with the class. 

     I found that a webquest could be a great activity for having students research and find information.  I loved the inquiry behind most of the webquests that I visited.  The inquiry behind webquests would truly allow students to gain a log of information.  That information would then be used to further student knowledge.  The most creative aspect of a webquest is the journey that students take to further their knowledge base about a particular topic.  Most of the webquest journeys asked students to create a project…so it essentially becomes a project based activity.  The engaging component of a webquest makes it enticing for the students…they become excited about their learning…especially when it is set up in a “detective” type of setting.  I also liked that the assessment was included in the webquest, which gives students some idea of what the teacher expects.

     As a teacher, if you are planning to create a webquest activity for your students it must be well thought out and planned in order to be effective.  It should also be organized in a way that provides some educational benefit for the students.  Having never created a webquest, I am not sure mine is one that I would consider extremely well done….I am encouraged to research and visit more webquests as I continue this journey through education.

     The webquest that I created had students creating a brochure on a specific place or landmark in Kentucky.....you have just moved to Kentucky and want to know more about the state....you will research various places in Kentucky and create a brochure to share with someone not from Kentucky.

Webquest link:  www.zunal.com/webquest.php?w=115957 View / Update This WebQuest Delete WebQuest

Online Communication Tools

1. Have you ever used online communication tools in the classroom before?  If so, detail your experiences.  If not, what has prevented you from using online communication tools?

I frequently use the online tool of emails as many other educators do….I inform my parents of important information, dates, activities, and use it to communicate with parents regarding their children.  I teach Kindergarten, so I do not utilize email with my students unless we are writing to a pen-pal or a student who is on vacation for a long period of time.  I think that email is a great communication tool that when used appropriately is highly effective.

     The tool I find the most intriguing and extremely helpful is the communication tool of a weblog or blog.  I have found blogs to be very rewarding for my own teaching within the classroom.  I enjoy reading the blogs of other kindergarten teachers and making connections with people in the same field.  I get excited when teachers post activities that are new and fresh……activities that add a new twist on topics that have been taught for years.  Blogs help create a community among educators….they serve as a way to provide teachers with ideas that can be used instantaneously. 

2. Identify one online communication tool you can use in the classroom and discuss how you will prepare your students for using this communication tool.

I teach kindergarten so I do not feel comfortable teaching them how to use email or any particular online communication tool that would allow them to work on their own....however, with the guidance of an adult students can be taught basic parts of an email.  I think it is important to talk about online communication tools and to periodically show them how to email….we have actually emailed a pen-pal in the past as well as a student who went to France for a month.  I portrayed the email on the SMART Board for students to see and let them help me compose the message that was sent to the student.  They enjoyed sharing the pen with me and loved receiving the emails from their classmate.  I would enjoy starting a pen-pal program again this year and teach students the appropriate way to create a friendly email.  We shall see if this class will be developmentally ready to handle such a skill.

PowerPoint Presentations

Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation

   I created a PowerPoint presentation for my kindergarten class on inventors.  Students were supposed to know how to describe or characterize an inventor by the end of the presentation. 

     I began the presentation with the objective and then immediately began to introduce students to various inventors.  I introduced Benjamin Franklin as the first inventor.  I had obtained various pictures of Benjamin Franklin using Google images as well as the various inventions he invented.  I moved to Thomas Edison next, and again used Google images to pull pictures of Thomas Edison and the various items he invented.  Alexander Graham Bell was my next inventor.  I again pulled pictures from Google images to put in the presentation.  Henry Ford was the last inventor I introduced to my class before allowing them to invent their own vehicle using Legos.

     This was probably my most favorable presentation.  The images of each inventor and the things they invented were very intriguing to the students.  They asked lots of questions about the images of the inventions.  I was impressed by the quality of the images on Google images….they had a large selection of each inventor as well as the things in which they invented.  I was very impressed. 

     I chose to use the same format for all inventors and the items in which they invented.  After going through it with my class, I felt I could have altered each slide to show a little different layout.  In my mind I was thinking that the common layout would help keep my kindergarten students focused.  I know Microsoft PowerPoint offers a wide variety of layouts and I could have created each presentation page to be very different and unique. 

     I was extremely proud of this presentation.  The images of each inventor and their inventions served to intrigue the children.  They were amazed to see images of things that they were not familiar with and asked lots of questions and wanted lots of explanations as to how each invention was used.  I felt I had truly engaged my students in something that kept them extremely focused and excited.

     I would probably change the layout of the presentation as well as add more information.  I didn’t know how well the students would respond to a PowerPoint presentation and did not add a lot more than images of the inventor, inventions and a bulleted list of the items posted.  I could have added more current inventions and their inventors and compared the two different time frames.

     Overall, it was a wonderful experience for me as a teacher as well as for the students.

Desktop Publishing and Word Processing Documents Used in the Classroom

What makes the item visually appealing?  What distract from the message you are trying to communicate?

I have used a variety of different desktop publishing programs to create information for parents over the course of the last ten years.  I can remember when I first started creating parent newsletters and other parental information how basic it was…I utilized a word processing program to create very simple documents that just provided necessary information.  I did not add clip art or diagrams or anything that would make it an appealing document.  Now that I have been teaching for some time, I enjoy making newsletters and activities that are eye-catching and appealing for parents and students.  I often wonder if the information is sometimes overloaded with clip art and images and could be down-played by utilizing text boxes and colored features instead of the variety of layouts that desktop publishing software provides.  It is amazing how quickly boredom sets in after using the same templates and the same desktop publishing software for some time.  I find that I enjoy creating documents that allow the opportunity for creativity and personal flair….it gives a sense of who you are as an educator. 

An appealing newsletter for parents……not too flashy, just right!

Spreadsheets & Databases in the Classroom

Best websites for using databases and spreadsheets in the classroom:
http://library.thinkquest.org/J0110054
Thinkquest.org is a site that was established by students for students.  It lists the definitions, vocabulary, basics, and history of spreadsheets as well as provides examples of activities that have been created using spreadsheets.
http://www.alicechristie.org/
This is a wonderful site full of lots of ways to use spreadsheets in the classroom.  It has lots of examples for all grade levels.

What surprised you about how databases and spreadhseets can be utilized within the classroom:
I was really surprised by the number of schools who utilize spreadsheets to create note taking activities and quizes they can use for their classes.  I think it is a wonderful tool that I truly have not been utilizing to its fullest.
How have you used spreadsheets and databases in the past:
I have always used excel spreadsheets for classroom management items.  I have also used various database programs for grading purposes, attendance, lunch count, etc.  I was really surprised after reading the materials for this lesson the number of activities that can be created using spreadsheets and databases.  I think I will definitely change the way I use spreadsheets from now on...I will definitely use them more effectively.