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.

The Value of Integrating Technology in the Classroom

Week 1:  Value of Integrating Technology in the Classroom

•What did you learn this week that you will use immediately in your classroom?

I was amazed that I had never read the national standards on technology for students and teachers.  I was amazed at how thorough they were and how easily they could be used in planning instruction within the classroom.  I will definitely begin to utilize the standards and make sure that I am implementing them with my technology activities. 

•What steps will you take to implement this in your classroom?

When planning my instruction that has a technology activity, I will utilize the standards to make sure the activity is one that will benefit the students.  The standards were obviously devised for student success with technology.

•What challenges will you face when using this in your classroom?

The biggest challenge will be planning activities that meet the standards.  There are many activities on the internet and through various sites, but they do not always meet the standards established for teaching students.  I must be cognoscente of the standards and the benefit they will provide students in the classroom.

•What will you do to overcome the challenges?

Once my lessons have been established, I will check to make sure they align with the NETS.