Week 8-the final post.

For this final week of 8 we focused on dangerous viruses, Trojans and hackers on the internet, as well as internet etiquette. Computer viruses are not something that I have had a lot of problem with in my personal life, mainly because I have always had a good self-updating protection plan installed on my computers. On my laptop I currently have Kapersky Anti-Virus installed, and I have been really please with it . I did have one run in with a virus that was accessed via an email link. I think that is one of the most frustrating things that people who create viruses do. People today so easily trust links and information they receive in their email inbox and do not shy from clicking on a link, even if they do not know what it is about. I clicked on one link a few years ago, which luckily was caught by my anti-virus program before any real damage could be done.

As far as in the classroom where I work, we do not have computers in the classroom, except for the teacher's computer. We do have access to a computer lab. In order to use any of the computers in the building, you have to be able to log onto the network, which is only available to staff and students. As protection, students can only access certain programs and websites while on the computer. These websites have to be approved by our school librarian who is in charge of our technology protection plans. We also have an excellent IT staff on campus that is readily available to help with any internet virus scares and update any programs necessary. I feel like our school is doing a great job of protecting our computers and networks from any malicious software but I would be interested to see how other schools go about protecting themselves.

As far as internet etiquette goes, I feel like this is something that definitely needs to be addressed in the classroom. Students need to understand the need for responsibility while on the internet, as well as how easily information can be accessed. I think students need to be taught how they must be responsible for what things they post on the internet, as well as what they access. Students should be informed of viruses, Trojans, and possible hacking situations to better prepare themselves.

week 7

I really can't believe that we are in week 7! Before this term started I was super overwhelmed by this course, and now that we are reaching the end of it, I feel like I am in a real pattern and have learned so much from this course that I want to use in my own classroom one day! This week we focused on Software programs and Web 2.0 applications. I really enjoyed the reading about Video Games and Simulations in the classroom. I grew up playing the Sims at home all the time, and had never really thought about how a game like that could be utilized in the classroom.
I do remember in one of my high school classes that we did a simulation where we were assigned a character from a different country, economic class, and time period than us. From there we had to complete certain tasks for survival, and if you failed your charater did too. After the simulation was over we all created a presentation about the background of our given characters and the struggles we faced.
While looking at Web 2.0 applications for the classroom I stumbled upon Kerpoof, which is owned by Disney. Kerpoof uses a creation studio to allow students to create artwork, movies, cards, and stories. There are lesson plans featured on the site and it's free for educators to use! To try it out I used two different aspects of Kerpoof with my reading group of 1st graders. On the Kerpoof studio, you can "Spell a picture". On this activity students pick a background and then can select letters to begin spelling a word. As they are spelling the word, images pop up of what they might be spelling, and once they have completely spelled the word, an image of what they spelled pops up and can be added to the picture.
Once the image is added to the picture, the user can hold their mouse over the image to see the spelling again.

I also used one of the free lesson plans on Kerpoof. The lesson plan I used was about Recycling and taught kids "RRR" --Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Since I was working with first graders I did not have them necessarily use the words from the lesson, but instead had them create a picture of things they like to do outside, that if people do not recycle would be ruined. 

Overall I love the Kerpoof Design studio and all the options of creativity it provides. I really hope to keep using it in the future! My students responded positively to the program and want to use it again. I'm looking into ways I can use the program in other areas, especially Math, to use creativity and visuals to teach students.

TECH EXPLORATIONS

19. delicious.com

1.	Describe what you learned from exploring this resource.  Be thorough in your response.
	Delicicious is an online website or an application where users can store and organize the links they access. I looked at the online site. Users can download a bookmarklet that allows you to quickly add a link to your list. You can also link Delicious to your address book or social media networks and view what links your friends have added. Delicious also can create a newsfeed based on your interests to get ideas from.
2.	How could you use this resource in a school setting?  It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.
	I think Delicious could be used by teachers to store ideas for lesson plans, classroom management, etc. in one accessible place. Students could use Delicious for research projects to save all the links they find with useful information in one place.
3.	Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.  Why or Why not?
	I really had neutral feelings towards Delicious. It seems a lot like Pinterest to me, but without the distractions of all the different things you can find on Pinterest. I guess for educators that use their favorites bar on Internet Explorer this would be a good alternative. I do like the idea of students using it while they research or plan for projects though.

  

19. HistoryPin

1.	Describe what you learned from exploring this resource.  Be thorough in your response.
	HistoryPin allows for users internationally to pin pictures and images to a certain place on a map. From there, users can view pictures of a certain place in different time periods. Stories and captions can also be posted with the image. The goal of HistoryPin is to create a multiuser digital history of our world.
2.	How could you use this resource in a school setting?  It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.
	Students could research a specific place anywhere in the world and use HistoryPin to find images from a timeline to use in their report. Also Social Studies teachers could introduce a new place each week and use HistoryPin to compare how things used to look to how they look now.
3.	Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.  Why or Why not?
	I think HistoryPin is a neat idea but I’m not sure how much you would use it exactly. I think it you were strictly a social studies teacher it would a good resource to use in the classroom, as mentioned above.

19. Diigo

1.	Describe what you learned from exploring this resource.  Be thorough in your response.
	Diigo is like a bookmark manager that uses highlighters and sticky notes to point out valuable information found by the user. Diigo is a Cloud based program that can be accessed from all major web browsers, as well as from mobile devices and tablets. All the information collected is stored on the Cloud in MyLibrary and can be accessed from anywhere. Diigo installs an add on to browsers with a toolbar. Resources can be saved as a snapshot too. Diigo now allows collaborative work as well.
2.	How could you use this resource in a school setting?  It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.
	Diigo would be great for students to use while researching for a paper. They could gather resources and highlight the information they want to use in their paper, as well as save the link with a label such as “introduction” or “point 1” to make it easy to place information into their paper organization. From there, the students could even share the information found with their teacher to make sure they are on the right track. The teacher can make notes and highlight news things on the documents.
3.	Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.  Why or Why not?
	I think I would recommend this resource, especially to middle and high school teachers. It is a great resource to teach students how to organize their information and it makes it easy for them to include all the information they find on a topic. It seems easy to use, and I like that it can be accessed from anywhere and is linked to the Cloud, so you don’t have to be on the original computer.

19. Math Calculators

1.	Describe what you learned from exploring this resource.  Be thorough in your response.
	Two calculators looked at during this TE were the PBS talking Calculator and the Big Simple Talking Calculators. Both of these programs are talking calculators that tell you the number you have selected as well as the function. The main difference between the two is the PBS calculator covers the basic math functions and is suitable for young students, while the Big Simple Talking calculator has more advanced functions. The Big Simple calculator can also turn off the voice or translate into different languages.
2.	How could you use this resource in a school setting?  It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.
	I feel like either one of these would be great to use in a school setting,especially with elementary school students. Teachers could use the talking calculator to teach early elementary students how to use a calculator in conjunction with addition/subtraction sentences, and as they get older the calculators could be used to teach new math techniques.
3.	Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.  Why or Why not?
	I would recommend these calculators because they are easy to use, and would be easy for students to use as well. They are free to use as well.

20. Math Wiki

1.	Describe what you learned from exploring this resource.  Be thorough in your response.
	This Wiki page explains to users how utilizing writing in math can help with student retention of the math concepts they are taught in the classroom. Writing in math can help students learn how to clarify, organize, and reflect on their ideas in math. The wiki provides links and other information for teachers including objectives and academic standards. The Wiki suggests five types of writing to be used in the classroom: math journals, showing work to solve math problems, explaining math ideas, general math writing, and creative writing.
2.	How could you use this resource in a school setting?  It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.
	This could be used as a resource to teachers who are wanting to expand the skills and retention in their math classes and need ideas how to do so. The Wiki also provides useful information on using writing in other areas, something all teachers can benefit from.
3.	Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.  Why or Why not?
	I would recommend this resource, especially to first year teachers or those who are working with lower level math groups. I really liked the examples of student work provided.

20. PicLits

1.	Describe what you learned from exploring this resource.  Be thorough in your response.
	PicLit is an online site that uses stock images to promote creative writing skills. Users can pick an image and then select words that will go with the image. There is a gallery of other users’ PicLits, a place to view the PicLits you create, and a LearnIt tab that has further activities to use creative writing skills. Under the LearnIt tab users are challenged to write longer pieces or work with rhyming words. There are also lesson plans available to use.
2.	How could you use this resource in a school setting?  It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.
	This could easily be used in a writing class or more specifically high school aged creative writing class to challenge students to use images to enhance their writing. PicLits keeps students entertained and allows them to choose what they create.
3.	Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.  Why or Why not?
	I would recommend PicLit to other educators because it is free, easy to use, and is something that most students will not have used before. It easily inspires students to use their creativity and share it with their peers.

Week Six.

This week we explored and created Webquests. I actually remember one of my middle school teachers using Webquests in the classroom when we were doing a social studies assignment. The Webquest covered the history of the Egyptians and had us visit various websites and complete different assignments. When researching webquests this week I found two that were interesting to me. One was a biography project on Marc Brown, the author of the Arthur series, and the other webquest went along with one of the Magic School Bus books, Under the Sea.
The biography of Marc Brown had students research his history as well as look into how he got his start in writing. Not only did students learn about Marc Brown, but they were challenged to use their own creative writing skills. The Magic School Bus Webquest went along with the book Under the Sea, and had students not only read the book but utilize various websites to learn more about oceans and ocean creatures.
From both of these webquests it was interesting to see how they used literature in combination with the internet to challenge students to seek more information. In this digital based world we live in , Webquests are a great way to teach students, particularly young students, how to use the internet in a responsible and beneficial way.

http://questgarden.com/165/29/4/131129205043/
For my individual webquest, I had students learn more about Dr. Seuss while also using their critical thinking skills and creativity. After completing the webquest my "class" would be reading the book "Who is Dr. Seuss?", so the WebQuest was utilized to give them background information on Dr. Seuss before they read the book. My hope was that the Webquest would help with comprehension of the actual book being read in the class.
My WebQuest focused not only on the historical background of Dr. Seuss but challenged the students to use their critical thinking skills and creativity skills. I will say I felt like WebQuests are pretty time consuming but is a great resource in the classroom if they are used in the right way.

Week five.

This week was definitely one of my favorite weeks in the course so far, and I feel like I learned a lot about different resources available to use for visual literacy. These tech explorations were some of my favorites and are definitely some resources I want to try to incorporate into the classroom I work in.
I think it's really important as teachers to expand our use of technology and the types of technology we expose our students to. Often people think that powerpoints are the only way to create an interesting presentation,but there is so much more out there!
Prezi, Spicy Nodes, and Glogster were the three tech explorations that I learned the most about, and was definitely most interested in. I had never heard of either of these!
Prezi--I absolutely loved this! I think the way that the presentations move about will remind kids of a game, and definitely keep their interest. I watched one presentation about 13 Halloween Traditions explained and felt like the presentation was so informative as well as interactive. This would be a neat thing to use for classroom rules or guidelines---the possibilities are endless!
Spicy Nodes--I think SpicyNodes would be great to use and create along side lesson plans. One thing I have learned from working in a classroom is that sometimes, things do not go as planned. I like that with SpicyNodes the conversation and teaching can go anywhere, and kids can make connections that fuel the discussion!
Glogster--Although I doubt I would ever get to use the paid-for version of this, I would really like to browse the user Glogsters posted and see if I can use one of them with my reading or math groups.

Overall I think it's very important to try and present information is as many ways as possible, while also staying in bounds of time in the classroom. By utilizing these visual literacy programs teachers can achieve this, and reach out to all different types of learning minds in the classroom!

TECH EXPLORATIONS
 

15. Prezi

1.	Describe what you learned from exploring this resource.  Be thorough in your response.
	Prezi is a unique presentation program that allows the user to make visually artistic presentations. These presentations are more interactive and can be set up with a home page for the presentation with a web format opposed to linear. There is no fee to try the basic Prezi package, but to access many add ons there is a monthly fee. Collaboration and sharing is also an option. Also on the website are other users’ public presentations that can be viewed or used.
2.	How could you use this resource in a school setting?  It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.
	Overall I love that the format of Prezi allows for viewers to see the connections right in front of them. Instead of in a Powerpoint where slides are more like subtitles, the user can set up a Prezi in a web format where all the connections present can be seen. Prezi allows to user to not use linear organization in their presentations, and use something more visually stimulating. One example that I watched on the website is something that could definitely be used in a classroom. It was a presentation on the Explanations behind 14 Halloween Traditions. This is something that could be used in a reading or social studies situation and would definitely keep the students engaged.
3.	Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.  Why or Why not?
	I would absolutely recommend this as a resource and it is something that I really hope to use in the classroom. Since the public can use the basic format for free it is easy for educators to make their own creations to use in the classroom. There are also plenty of tutorials available to teach how to use the program effectively.

15. SpicyNodes

1.	Describe what you learned from exploring this resource.  Be thorough in your response.
	SpicyNodes is a free application that creates a mapping image of information that users can interact with. Plans can be made with the maps or they can be used to present information in an interactive format. Users can select a section of the concept map and see what connections come from that, or click on a completely different section.
2.	How could you use this resource in a school setting?  It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.
	On SpicyNodes website they talk about not only students using SpicyNodes but also teachers. Students can use SpicyNodes to create an interactive presentation that shows connections and allows them to move the mapping sections around to compare or contrast. Teachers can use SpicyNodes to create lesson plans that are not so much linear, but able to adapt to the ever changing classroom. Objectives can be set up by day and the teacher can use the map to decide which activity will be done next.
3.	Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.  Why or Why not?
	I would recommend this to other educators a free resource to map out their ideas and lesson plans. It’s a nice resource for lesson plans because it doesn’t follow such a linear format, which allows for changes to be made in the classroom as the day goes on. It could be accessed on a tablet for easy access in the classroom.

16. Edmodo

1.	Describe what you learned from exploring this resource.  Be thorough in your response.
	Edmodo is a an educational resource set up to be viewed in a social media format. It allows Educators to communicate with their students in an open environment that promotes sharing. Edmodo allows teachers to continue classroom discussions, share links with their students, give polls, and award students for positive behaviors with badges.
2.	How could you use this resource in a school setting?  It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.
	Edmodo would be an excellent resource to use at the high school level. In an English class a teacher could use Edmodo to start up discussions on a book assignment. Students could participate in discussion via Edmodo so the teacher could easily see that all students are participating. Students could ask questions, take polls and then get badge awards for the discussions they participate in. Edmodo is catered to the social media driven students of today, and makes them feel like they are on  a social media site, not an educational site.
3.	Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.  Why or Why not?
	I am not exactly sure what fee goes along with Edmodo, but I would recommend this as a resource to educators working with high school or middle school aged students. It seems easy to use and the format is definitely user friendly as well as similar to social media. Edmodo would be a great way to keep students engaged and talking, even after school.

16. Math Dictionary

1.	Describe what you learned from exploring this resource.  Be thorough in your response.
	Math Dictionary for Kids is a website containing definitions for mathematic language that students would see in the classroom. The definitions are listed in alphabetical order so the user can select what they are looking for. After selecting a word, a visual is shown along with a written definition. These images and definition can also be printed.
2.	How could you use this resource in a school setting?  It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.
	This would be a great resource to use in math groups. Students could search for the skill themselves and then see the image and read the definition. Teachers could also use this as a resource in whole group teaching by printing out the definition page. A neat idea would be to print out each math definition page used throughout the year and maybe post them in the room or create a math book to show the students their progression over the year.
3.	Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.  Why or Why not?
	I think this is an awesome resource for teachers to use. It’s free, easy to access and navigate and is another way to reach different types of student learners in the classroom. This would be great for students who need additional help, and is a resource that could be mailed out to parents to use at home to help their child with homework.

17. Glogster

1.	Describe what you learned from exploring this resource.  Be thorough in your response.
	Glogster is an education platform that is available all over the world, that allows educators to create online multimedia presentations that can be easily shared and embedded. Presentations can be created to look however the teacher wants, and various media types can be added to the creation including pictures ,video and sounds. The Glogster website has an online library of presentations used by other educators that teachers can use or gain inspiration from.
2.	How could you use this resource in a school setting?  It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.
	I think this would be a great resource to use in many different classrooms and areas. After looking at the examples provided I feel like lots of different things could be done with Glogster. For example, I think Glogster would be awesome for independent work or stations. A teacher could upload a presentation all about a certain math formula and include a “to-do list” for the student viewing it of all the different aspects they should click on. Movies and images could be included, even a movie of the teacher discussing the topic.
3.	Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.  Why or Why not?
	I think this is a great resource if the teacher has funds or a school has funds to use it. It would be easy to take a lesson plan and incorporate aspects of it into a glogster presentation. For those who do not want to pay the fees, Glogsters online sharing community of presentations is a great resource to use if you can find a presentation that goes along with what you are teaching.

17. Jing

1.	Describe what you learned from exploring this resource.  Be thorough in your response.
	Jing is a program that allows users to share their screen and information, save it and create with it. The program is readily available on the desktop and can be downloaded for free. Once a user takes a screenshot or even a video of what is on their screen they can email it, save it , or upload it.
2.	How could you use this resource in a school setting?  It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.
	Jing could be used in the classroom to teach a new skill in independent stations, help with homework, or introduce a new topic. One thing I saw on the website was using Jing to teach a skill. The skill could be introduced in class, then a video of the teacher teaching that skill can be sent to the parents to help with homework and refresh the students’ memory.
3.	Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.  Why or Why not?
	I think Jing is neat thing, but maybe not a resource that would work for everyone. Not every student has access all the time to a computer or the internet, so if a video using Jing was sent out to aide with homework not all students would get it. I think Jing could be used in the classroom for independent centers though.

18. YouTube For Education, Teacher Tube, School Tube

1.	Describe what you learned from exploring this resource.  Be thorough in your response.
	These three sites are all video sharing sites, but only feature educational videos to educate not only students but teachers. Each of them have lots of videos that are organized and are easy to navigate. Videos on most of the sites can be pulled up in class, emailed, or in some cases be included in presentations.
2.	How could you use this resource in a school setting?  It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.
	All of these websites would be great in a school setting or even to be sent home if kids need additional help with a topic. I know that sometimes when students get back from lunch, gym, recess, etc. it can be difficult to get everyone back on the same page and ready to learn.Videos could be pulled from these sites to introduce a topic, provide more information, or even just give students random facts and settle them down.
3.	Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth.  Why or Why not?
	I would definitely recommend all three of these sites. They are easy to use, have lots of different videos and can be used not only to inform but to aide with classroom management in some situations.