New Technologies in the Classroom

Using New Technologies in the Classroom
   As a first grade teacher, I use technology frequently in my classroom. Whether it is a YouTube video for our morning meeting or a lesson done on the interactive MOBI, technology is a regular part of my day. The thing is, I have been playing it pretty safe when it comes to exploring new technologies. I just assume that if I use what I know and it's safe, I can't really go wrong. 
  Since I have began taking the course, "Internet Tools in the Classroom", I have been on a "Tech shopping spree." I have already learned so much from reading Discussion board posts as well as "blog hopping." I never realized how many great sites and apps are out there. I also realized that teachers are very eager to share what is working in there classroom. 
  I was anxious to do an interview in order to find out what technologies other teachers were using in their classroom, and if they felt that the obstacles were worth the outcome. Many of the answers were very similar. Below you can read a summary of the responses I got to some of the questions asked in the interview. 

       How do you decide which tools to use in the classroom?
         The most common response received to this question was that the technology, whether it be an app, website, or software, must be user friendly.
One teacher shared that because the classroom is such a busy place, it should be something that both the student and the teacher are able to operate. This ensures that the students will be able to operate it independently while she is working with other students. 
         Some of the technologies referred to included 1 Minute Reader, an app by Read Naturally that promotes fluency, as well as Book Creator, another app for tablets. Both these programs can be used by the student independently after little training. Ultimately, teachers want to find a program that targets areas in need and can be used independently. It allows for differentiation while allowing the teacher to meet the needs of all students simultaneously.

      What obstacles to you need to overcome to obtain permission for projects?
           A second grade teacher shared with me that she is currently working on a class project using the Book Creator app on her Ipad. One important area for her was to make the first project simple enough that all students could feel successful. Each student will be writing one line in the book. This will also allow for the project to be completed in a timely fashion. One obstacle she faced was parent permission for the book to be displayed. Her goal is to have the book placed on Itunes as well as the district website. In order to do this each parent had give permission for their students work to be displayed. Because some parents were weary of this, not all students were able to participate. One way she kept all students involved was to allow the students without permission to be "editors." She created other jobs along the way as well to keep them involved in the process and give them an opportunity to be proud of the final product. 
    Other common obstacles included school internet filters. Many teachers expressed frustration in the fact that most work and research is done at home. When teachers get to school and have something planned, often the school filters block the website necessary to complete the project. Teachers shared that they are more frequently testing things out at school before implementing them into their lesson plans. Although they are not harmful, school filters don't always agree with the site they want to use.

What advice would you give a teacher seeking to replicate your efforts?

•      Try everything yourself! Try is at home and try it at school. Try the links. Make sure it is ALL appropriate and user-friendly. 
•      Play with the apps and see how far they can go. Some trial versions will let you play for a while or to a certain level and then force you to purchase items or the full version. Make sure it is something you can use or want to purchase before releasing it to your students.
•     Use simple apps or try simple projects. Make sure students feel success right away. This will encourage them to be open to trying other technologies or taking on bigger projects. 

It was very enjoyable to have other teachers share their success stories as well as their lessons learned with technology in the classroom. My new passion for trying new technologies is growing each day. That includes even posting to this blog that I was nervous about at first. I find myself thinking of things I would like to post throughout the day. I look forward to sharing with you more stories of my experiences as this journey continues.    

Blogging Habits

    I have never been the kind of person to express myself well through writing. The whole idea of putting my thoughts out there for other people to read makes me a little nervous. When I realized we would have to create and maintain a blog for the Internet Tools for Teaching course, I was a little worried.
    As an 8th grade boys basketball coach I am constantly beginning practice with a quote. While preparing for one of our first practices I came across a Chinese proverb that has become a staple for our practices. It says, "Habits are cobwebs at first; cables at last."  I used this proverb to explain to my players that although you may not master things right away, habits become stronger over time. I take this a little further by reminding them that you can make good habits or bad habits, what kind of cables do you want to create.
     As I prepared to make my first blog entry (well besides my creative commons licensing), this proverb kept popping up in my head. I have decided to try to form the habit of making a regular blog post. Again, I am not one to ever brag about placing my thoughts or feelings on paper, but if you want to become better at something, you have to start spinning the web.
    If you ever read a post and want to comment, please do so. I am very accepting of critique, criticism, or even blatant feedback. I hope that my ability to express myself and share ideas develops over this course, but until then, I hope you can enjoy..or at least tolerate, my attempt to spin one "web of a blog."

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

I chose an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike creative commons license because I was always told that as teachers we need to be willing to "beg, borrow, and steal" but to also be accepting of those who do the same. By no means am I supporting the idea of stealing, but as teachers we have a true appreciation of the value of time. Why re-invent the wheel or expect others to do so. No teacher got into the profession to "make the big bucks." We are all in this to help children grow and learn, and this goal can be accomplished much easier through collaborative efforts.

The reason that I chose not to allow commercial distribution is because I am unaware of any ramifications that might come along with that. I do not believe at this stage of my career that I am producing anything of value, but I want to fully understand what this area allows and entails before committing myself to that type of license.