Now...Go Deck Those Halls!

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To be quite honest, I am not afraid of technology. What I really fear is it “not working”.  Whether it is a lost signal, a glitch that I cannot get around because I just don’t know the steps or the app well enough, or a device not working for a student when they need it. For example, there is nothing worse working with a guided reading group and having to pop up and trouble shoot for a student on a laptop or iPad because of random update request, administrator password, or
freezing. 

I do spend time looking at sites and programs and try to play around with them when I have some free time. (Ha! If you ever get an email from me at 3:45 in the morning, this is my free time…) My best friend has been google searches for tutorials.  The assignments for this class have prepared me to use technology in different ways to enhance my teaching and thus, hopefully, student learning.

I use the Symbaloo that I created on the laptops in my room and that is very convenient for the kids. They really liked the ThingLinks that I made for our study of Holland and other countries around the world.  Twitter has actually been fun and I have connected with some really interesting people.  Weebly was not new to me as I use it for my class website but I may use the blog element for my weekly newsletter in the future. 

I just can’t help but think though, that most of what I have learned has been more for my personal benefit. For example, I love how the digital story turned out and love even more that my son loved it, but I don’t see first graders making one. (Please tell me if I am wrong here!)  The kids will definitely benefit from my new knowledge.

The one problem I have is time.  The projects that I have completed are the result of hours and hours of research, playing around, mistakes,  and simply, composing.  Although I will continue to embed (Ha!  For you Pam M!) technology into my teaching, I don’t think that I can devote the same amount of time as it has really encroached into other professional obligations and my personal life.  

It is always nice to have assistance to work on the bigger projects, but schedules are very hectic and to be quite honest, our tech support is about to be spread out even thinner.  I wish that we had dedicated times  in the lab and a grade level list of specific programs to use to cover the tech standards that are assigned for each grade.  At this time, there is not a lot of specific horizontal or vertical alignment between grade levels although I do feel that there will be changes in the future! 

Well, to end this one way conversation, one of the things that I have learned from this class is that I really have a LOT to learn. But for right now, I am going to unplug and start enjoying the holidays.  

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Ink Stink

Photo by  http://evidencesolutions.com

Never, ever have I considered a tattoo for myself. Skin changes as you get older and those once-cool tattoos no longer look so great as the colors fade and the skin starts to sag. (Those with tattoos, please do not take offense.  My grandpa had a tattoo and it looked like a blue and green bruise.)  I was not happy when my son decided to get some Japanese characters tattooed on his shoulder just after his 18th birthday. Waiting, of course, until he was old enough to go without parental permission.  I told him two things…#1 -  He had better be sure that the characters were correct and #2  - I would not pay for it or the removal.  It would be permanent and forever.  Just like the information that you can find on the internet. 

I have told my kids time and time again about posting too much.  “You never know when it will come back to haunt you” is something that I still nag them about.  They don’t always think about potential employers searching for information, how long pictures will be out there, or who will be looking at them.  Sometimes, they just don’t think.  

 I did not know about putting the quotation marks around the name and of course, I did “Google” myself with the quotations.  And, I really wish that I had NOT!  I was not thrilled to see such information as my salary, my address, and other personal information. Photos, too.  And that is with just a general google…not using the  snooping sites that were given. 

By the way, some of the information that I found was incorrect as in the case of one site stating that I had taught out-of-state for ten years. Nope, not correct.  Salary, not quite correct either. 

Caroline Kennedy published a book in 1997 called The Right to Privacy.  It probably needs to be updated to include technology and the internet. I do not want to be famous, I do not want to be in the spotlight, I don't like attention called upon myself, and I don’t really like my information out there for everyone to see.  Unfortunately, that’s not one of my rights and I cannot really control it. .

No wonder it’s so easy to hack into peoples accounts and assume identities.  The information is right there for the taking.  

P.S.  I told my son that the only other tattoo that he could get was a big red heart with the word "Mother" sprawled across it.  

image from www.tatoodesigns24.com

Think about ThingLink

Last year a colleague shared an example of how she used ThingLink in her classroom for differentiation purposes.  Although it was very interesting,  I did not pursue using it as there was  always a lengthy "to do" list that had priority.

Each year, first graders study holiday customs and traditions from different countries around the world.  This allows thems to compare and contrast the different celebrations and learn about the countries as well.

Along with the holiday focus, I do like to bring in other information about the country. This is where ThingLink is really helpful!  I decided to try it out on the Netherlands. I debated whether to have just a map of the Netherlands, but decided on a map of Europe to show the size in comparisons to other countries that we study.

I found several youtube clips describing the culture.  I went through several  as many clips had portions that were not appropriate for children to view. This really reinforced the necessity of pre-viewing!  I finally found one as well as other clips and sites that focused on the windmills, dike systems, tulips, bike riding, wooden shoes, cheese markets, and the flag.  The beauty of it is that this presentation can be used at small gaps of time that sometimes come up during the day or  independently by the students during our center times.

The site was rather simple to use once I looked at a few tutorials.  If I have learned one thing during the last few months, it's the value of tutorials.  Try one, and  then maybe you'll have to try another.  I have not found a shortage of any that I have pursued, but finding just the right one is the key. A little time, but necessary.  At least for me.

I found it easier to find all of my links, copy, paste, and  label them on a separate page,  and then build my ThingLink.  It was simple and direct to build.  However, what I found difficult was figuring out how to embed it on this page.  To this time, I have not figured out if that is possible, or only with the extra fee. I would have liked to have added other photos, but using the "free" portion is somewhat limiting as to what can be done. Many sites/programs such as this one, offer free usage for a limited portion, but it is not until you pay the extra fees that you get the "bells and whistles" that really make it interesting.  I'm not sure if our district is willing to reimburse and I will need to consider how much I would use it to warrant the extra fee. The extra $20 - $40 fees do add up and ther are so many out there!

Update:  Figured the embedding out!  Initially, I went to the "Layout" and embedded it there, but it was above the post, not in it.  A few different other ways were shared in an e-mail and one of those worked. 

A Holiday Tradition

Finally! I found just the right tool!  I really wanted to find a tech focused creative outlet for my first graders.  I spoke to a colleague and she recommended Book Creator. After a few tutorials and a few hours of play, I did create a template for a December activity that my kids will be able to build with minimal assistance.  (Hopefully...)

The first is to have them write 2-3  sentences about one holiday tradition that they do with their family to help celebrate a December holiday.  This assignment will go home and come back to school.  I will go over them with the boys and girls and do any editing with the kids.  Next, they will practice reading it with fluency and expression until they are very comforable with it.  

Next, this is where Apple TV will come in handy.  Using an iPad, the Book Creator app will be projected on the SmartBoard and instruction will go on from there.  I'll  show them how to type their names and  sentences, including shifting for capital letters,  change the font,  font color, and background color.  Since they know how to take pictures after a lesson from our recent field trip, I showed them how to turn the camera around to take a "selfie".  What was I thinking...they already knew how.  Next lesson,  how to take their picture out of "Photo" and put it on their page.  I will show them how to draw using the drawing tools, and will  show them how to pull out some holiday clipart from "Photos" (Christmas, Hanukkah, & Kwaanza)  for embellishment purposes. 

http://2016calendarprintable.com

I might give them an option to bring in one photo to add.  (For example, if they have a photo of  making a gingerbread house.)  I'll have to scan them and put them into "photo".  They'll have to drag out of "Photos".  This will be optional. If they don't, they can draw something with the pencil tool.   

The last part will be recording their voices reading the descriptive sentences.  Really...what are the odds of a quiet background for recording in a first grade classroom? Last year, I did buy a set of headphones with a microphone. We'll try using those in a corner or out in the hall during a non-passing time.  

Each child will get a page to embellish and record on.  I can have several students working on this at one time and merge the stories.  I have the info to do this merge but have not yet tried it !To get it on this post,  I did share the cover and my sample  page on  Google Drive so that I could embed it.  This took a while but I wanted to figure out how to share it with families once completed. 

It was fun!  Let's just hope that it works for the kids!  Wish me luck!

Double Dipping...A Screencast-o-Matic on how to make a Tagxedo

created at http://www.tagxedo.com

Tagxedo is a creative outlet that can be used to enhance vocabulary development while increasing Keyboarding skills!

I have done this before with students, so the first thing that I llike to do  is generate a list of words for that particular time of year, holiday, event, or person.  The possibilities are endless!  Once the words are generated and posted on the SmartBoard or on paper, the kids are ready to go.  With first graders, I do give a "must include" list of words which must be included, but offer the opportunity to add more according to each individual child's keyboarding skills. 

Using the school lab, the boys and girls followed my directions, logged into Tagxedo, and created a finished product.  

I did a little blending of elements for this assignment and made a screencast of how to make a Tagxedo word cloud! 

The screen cast was created to assist the students and their parents with Tagxedo projects at home. Often, the children are introduced to programs at school but cannot always remember how to manipulate them once they get home and want to try it out again.  A screencast can be played to refresh their memory and instruct their parents as well! 

As an avid QuickCast user, I figured that Screencast-o-Matic could not be too different.  The biggest difference that I could see is the amount of time that you can record.   Five minutes on QuickCast vs. Fifteen on Screencast-o-matic is a deciding factor on which to use.  

This screencast was created on  Screencast-o-Matic. As like everything else, a simple google search will bring up offerings of tutorials. It is relatively simple once you get through the downloading of the initial application. It allows you to record up to fifteen minutes and share directly into You Tube.  

Screencasts can record procedures and answer common questions, give students audio-visual feedback, give access to recorded lessons at any time,  provide for parent instruction, and assist in teaching in cases of absence.  (Teacher can pre-record lessons in the event of his/her absence or send a recording to an absent student.)

Last Minute Lori

     In the grand tradition of "Last Minute Lori",  I did not immediately start on the Digital Story project right away.  To be honest, I did think about it and had an idea for a story, but it just didn't pan out.  It was the story of my in-laws and their experiences in life, including the years during and after World War II.  However, they were intensely private about this time in their lives and were both very hesitant to discuss it. Although my husband supported this endeavor, the thought that it would go on You Tube with the potential of being viewed by many or even just a few,  seemed to go against their wishes, so I was back to square one.

     That's when I opened iMovie to try to figure out how to navigate through the program. It had changed from the HD Version and the application was not even on my dock.  I clicked, it opened.  I felt as though I had deja vu moment right away when I saw some unedited clips that were in there from some years ago when my son was applying to colleges.  It was a cache of his sports clips!  Hmmmmm...do I remember those!  The hours I spent trying to figure out how to edit them came whirling back in my head, and not in a good way at all. (With a husband who has a degree in Television Production, you'd think he'd know how to edit!) That's when I decided that I would make a movie for my son's  upcoming 22nd Birthday.  Pictures were no problem...I have 3,895 in iPhoto.  Music.  No problem.  Itunes activated with lots of favorite songs.  And, then there were those clips.  Seeing them after five years was the inspiration for the project but,  knew that I would need a good tutorial.  I turned to a colleague and she shared a great tutorial that got me started.

     Last Friday, October 23, was a very late night for me...I did not stop playing with it for hours and ended up staying up until 1:30. (Truly, I should have been working on report cards.) The following day...several more hours.   I should have been cleaning my house, grocery shopping,  and working on report cards, but the digital story was done.  There were a few glitches, like photos that scan down and stay on a pair of knees and one photo where the subject's eyes are closed.  Oh well, I nothing is perfect.

      Next...you tube and embedding.  It is a good thing that the tutorial gave a decent description of how to upload and embed as I have never shared anything on you tube or embedded a movie clip. I actually did it, without any help!

Photo taken on Photobooth by subject

      I played it for my husband  and he loved it.  I hope that my "little" Andy does, too! I can't wait to hear how he likes it...but I have to be a little patient.  (AND, finish those report cards!)  His birthday is not until next week!

     The premise is great and does really serve a purpose as a creative outlet.  However, I would never use it with first graders. This is for "Down the Road" in future grades.  There are other programs and sites that would be more useful and developmentally appropriate.

     As much as I really like the finished product, I will admit that it took too many hours to complete and there are just so many hours in a day.  Family,  work, classroom, and student obligations were definitely short changed. If only there were more hours in a day...

Technology Integration

                                                                                                            

 Photo by blog.uattend.com

     Technology…we’ve had a love/hate relationship for many years!  Way back from that first  iMac computer…you know, that teal and ivory cube…we have loved and hated each other.  When I first got the computer, I lost the progress report comments that I had been working on for days.  Never found them and had to start over. I definitely hated computers then.  However, now I could not be without my iPhone or  MacBookAir and take them with me just about everywhere. Even on vacations.  I love creating my own documents and anything to do with iPhoto!  I hate that we have to use Pages because the district no longer includes Microsoft Word on teacher laptops.   Interestingly, I still have not fallen in love with iPads. I am not sure why but I think that it has to do with the fact that I feel that I am creative and make many documents and the keyboard on the laptop is so much more comfortable.  (Yes, I know there are auxiliary keyboards for iPads…)  So much love and hate. 

Image by Slideshare

                                                                                        

      

      For me, there is a gap between Stages 3 & 4.   I  feel that I am past the #3 Adaptation stage, but I am not ready to fully commit to the “confidence is high” as far as teaching my students.  Perhaps, personally I feel more “4ish”  but I feel that I would like to have a stage in between for that.

       Professionally or as a teacher…that is a different story.  Although we have access to iPads,  laptops, etc., there are times when the cart is checked out with every thought of introducing my class to a program/site and there are glitches which I don’t know how to fix.  For example, students getting messages to insert an administrative code, which I don’t have.  Or, saying that Adobe or Silverlight has to be updated before going on. Or figuring out where to save and where to save student projects on ipads.  We used to have a computer teacher but that has gone by the wayside in favor of Stem. Kids still have to have those basic computer skills such as logging in, typing, deleting, making uppercase letters, etc. so that they are comfortable taking the PARCC test on iPads in third grade.  Apparently, that is the classroom teacher’s responsibility, even though we haven’t gotten any official directive on this.  More and more is being put on load without specific programs to use and lab times that are squeezed in when you can get in.  The biggest downside is the lack of professional development.  I need more time and some directives to work with the kid programs.  I was hoping that this class would focus on more of those, but to this point, I feel that everything I have investigated is pointed at me as a teacher and not what I can do with my kids. Focusing on Twittering, PLNs, and building a professional website is interesting but it is giving me less time to focus on the general and technological needs of  my students.

      So, in a nutshell, I would have to say that I am somewhat beyond stage 3/Adaptation but yet, not fully part of Stage 4/Appropriation.  

       Just like children who skill set run a wide rage, so do those of the teachers.  I can definitely think of teachers in all of the stages from 2 and up.  Everyone has strengths and areas to work on.  

       Just a few days ago, a fitness instructor shared these words…”If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.”  I am definitely being challenged from every direction.   I can apply this saying to tech, too, right?  

       At this moment, thinking of the late Terri Race who talked  me into joining the first tech cohort so many years ago and believed in me.  Although the fast pace of technology makes it hard to sometimes keep up, I would never be where I am now without her encouragement and constant (and at the beginning it was just that!) support!  Terri…I am  still working at it!