Reflections

My favorite tools are the apps for Itouches, the Digital Storytelling and the Skype.
I am planing to use Digital Storytelling to record my students when they dramatize a stories. They will have the chance to enjoy their stories and reinforce concepts that they learned before. Also I will record lessons where my students participate actively. That will help them to review lessons.
The I-touches will be a great innovation in my room and my students will use the apps during centers time to reinforce concepts.

Definitely my point of view about technology in the classroom has changed and opening a wide range of possibilities of incorporate it, and for my students another way to learn or reinforce learning. Also I am more aware of the responsabilities and rights that our stuents will have to learn and undestand to become a good digital citizens.

The unexpected outcome was how easy and frienldy is to complete every tool and add things to the blog. It was much easier than I though. Woohoo.

Tool #11

Every year I have noticed that our students come to school with more tech skills, in other words some of them before the school start know how to handle and use devices such as video games consoles, dvd players, cellphones, even how to hold the mouse and open a program. They have been exposed to all these experiences at home. That is why is to important teach them how to be a good digital citizen. As in any other field there are rules that we have to follow to live in a good society. And I think that as Pre-k teachers we have the responsibility to set the bases of a good digital citizen.

I would like that my students understand what a cyber community is, what are the advantages of using and communicating throughout it , how to use tech tools such as skype or Itouches, and the most important thing that they learn the rules and responsibilities of using these media such as applying a right vocabulary, show behavor and respect when they are communicating with other person, to keep them safe and secure and also to prepare them for a society full of technology.

Tool #10

This year I had the opportunity to visit another Pre-K center (Panda Path) and observe the students using the I-touches. I was very impressed of how they easily handle and manage the devices. Students knew what to do, for instance, how to start the application, what buttons to use or how to place the Itouch in the right position (vertical or horizontal). It looked like their little fingers were the perfect size for it. Also they were very familiar with the apps and these were appropriate with the Pre-k guidelines. In my personal opinion the use of Itouches not only help students to reinforce math or LA skills, also improve their fine motor skills.

Stundets were teaching me how to use the apps. These are some of the apps that I enjoyed the most that day: Shape Builder, Write Words and Monkey preschool Lunchbox.

I can't wait to get the Itouches and let my students use them as a tool to reinforce what they are learning. Also using the Flip cameras it will be possible to record and play the lesson in the I-touches as teachers at Panda Path did. I saw how children enjoy watching the lessons over and over again.

Tool #9

The screencast could be used to record instructions for my students when they are learning how to use software or how to complete a task, etc.
I really like the idea of using skype to encourage my students to read a book, a letter, etc to other students, parents, students in other classrooms, members of their families that are not present in the classroom. That will really help to improve their oral language. Also they can make a showcast about the daily news or a report of a project like having their own tv channel. Other idea that I like is using skype to make a conference with parents.

I have been using skype for the last 4 years to communicate with my family and friends and to me is a great way to keep in touch with them despite the distances.

Tool #8

The first video is about a how spiders build and use a web. I added this video as a hot link. The second video is a song “Pim Pon” and I added it using the html code. I linked both videos from Youtube.
I like to use videos especially when my students don’t have the opportunity to watch something that I can not bring to the classroom. It is like to have the real experience in the classroom at least for few minutes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qaaYlpVmJM&feature=rela

Tool #7

I really like photo story. It was very easy to upload pictures, add voice, sounds and text and then create a movie. The only problem that I had was when uploading the correct file, which is the movie file and not the project file. Thanks Nancy for helping me with this step.
I will use this software to show my students how to use the story baskets, or for recording lessons, in that way they will have the chance to watch them again and to reinforce what they previously have learned.

Tool #6

Wikis are a great way to encourage collaboration between teachers. I think we can create a wiki after a training posting the base information and then teachers can add their experiences, thoughts, suggestions, etc. Many times it is not possible to keep in touch and change points of view with other teachers after taking training for many reasons such as different location or time. I think using Wikis will have that posibility and also the possibility of enriching our knowledge, adding more ideas, sharing documents or following suggestions and the best thing is with just a click you will get access to all that information updated by the experts.

Tool # 5

Diigo is a great tool to keep all the websites of my interest well organized and I like the idea of have access to all my websites in any computer and not just on my laptop. I think I can use it creating a list of websites with activities for my students and then to create a short cut in the desktops or netbooks of my classroom.
Other use is for planning activities having all the websites organize by category such L.A, Math, or by theme.

http://www.thevirtualvine.com/

http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/

Tool #4

I think there are a hundred of possibilities of how to use google docs as teachers. Here are some of my thoughts:
For planning lessons. Especially when someone is absent and still wants to collaborate with more ideas.
When it is time to review and change Road Maps. It will be easier to make changes on one document rather than on three or four, and in that way everyone has the chance to collaborate enriching the original document.

I think that Google reader can keep me updated on all of the blogs or websites of my interest without visiting the WebPages.

Tool #3

I used the "Comic Strip Generator" because I like to use cartoons as a hook to engage my pre-k students in the learning activity. Other feature that I like is to speak through the bubbles. I think I can use it to encourage my students to read messages.

I also used the “Spell with Flickr” as a part of an environmental printing. I think I can use it to show different types of fonts, shapes and environments where students can find letters.

Tool #2

I like the idea of creating an online education community especially in this times where information is more accessible to everyone and everywhere. To me this is one of the easiest way to share ideas, experiences, ask for clarifications or advices, interact with other colleagues or parents, etc, without being present for a discussion, which is a big advantage considering the limited time that sometimes our busy lives have.

What I like about of participating in a PLN is how easy is to communicate with other people that is interested in the same topic of discussion, giving me the possibility for instance, of trying new ways of teaching, sharing points of view, giving advices or answer questions not only with other teachers but also with parents. I am not saying directly with my students because I teach Pre-K and my students are learning how to write and read but I am not discarding the fact that they could do it.

What really stood out for me was the fact of how using the technology we can easily share and encourage collaboration, and this is open to anyone, in other words, to colleagues, parents, students, community, etc, giving anyone the opportunity of contributing in the learning process.

These are the five blogs that I have selected for my commnets:

Spring Daffodils
Hammer's PK
Polar Bear
Baby Goat
Bellas Orquideas

Tool # 1

I liked creating my blog. The only problem that I had was when adding voice to my character. Finally I solve the problem. I can't wait to move to tool # 2.

Waves for summer school

I am using the book "Waves" for teaching summer school. Students are sharing, drawing and writing down their experiences at the beach.